The Zips welcomed a new era with the hiring of Terry Bowden on Dec. 22. Bowden's hiring gives the fledging program some new hope after the Zips posted a 2-22 record in the two-year tenure of former coach Rob Ianello.
The 54-year-old Bowden carries a national reputation as the son of legendary Florida State coach Bobby Bowden. Terry Bowden carved his own reputation by leading Auburn to an 11-0 record in 1993, when he was named national coach of the year in a season that the Tigers were banned from a bowl game due to NCAA sanctions. Bowden returned to coaching after a decade long break to lead North Alabama to a 29-9 mark in three seasons before accepting the Akron position. Bowden, unlike most Mid-American Conferences coaches making a pit stop while climbing the ladder to a BCS program, is a big hire for the Zips.
"There is a formula to be successful," Bowden said. "We will find it, find it in a hurry and compete in the MAC. You have to be a little bold in your presentation and get the players to invest in it. I believe I'm the right guy for the job, but it is not a one-man show."
Bowden plans on running an up-tempo offense in hopes of putting some pressure on opponents, something that has been missing in recent years because playmakers have been missing. However, Bowden understands the importance of building a quality defense.
"Defense wins championships," Bowden said. "I would hope we would be relentless on defense. But I'll be my own offensive coordinator. We'll chuck the ball downfield and go. We are not going to be in a huddle. If I can get a snap up before the defense is ready every single play, we are going to do 85 snaps a game. The biggest thing, I want my players to have great enthusiasm."
Bowden pointed to the Mid-American Conference's success last year -- 4-1 in bowl games -- as an indicator that the Zips can turn things around.
"This is a place on the verge of something special," Bowden said. "I told them if you are interested in me, I'm interested in you because I want to be here. My goal is to build this program as far as we can go. I'm older and I think a little bit wiser. I can talk about this, talk about that. The only thing that changes anything is winning."
Bowden won a big recruiting battle by tabbing Chuck Amato as Akron's new defensive coordinator. Amato brings a wealth of experience, including serving as North Carolina State's head coach from 2000-06. Amato boasts 39 years of experience in the collegiate ranks, including 21 seasons on the staff at Florida State.
"I'm excited about the staff we've put together," Bowden said. "There's a lot of experience in this group and many of them have worked with one another before, so there's a lot of familiarity as well, which is important."
Bowden lost a key cog on defense when MLB Brian Wagner elected to use his final year of eligibility to transfer to Arizona. Wagner led the team and conference last year with 147 tackles, finishing third in the country. But the losing -- the Zips won five games -- during Wagner's years got to him despite three straight 100-plus tackle years.
"I believe his mind was made up," Bowden said of Wagner's transfer. "He wanted a new experience. He wanted to see if he could be a PAC-BCS level player. When it boiled down to it, if it was about his NFL future, it was more risky to do what he did. If it was about his playing time, it was definitely more risky. There's nothing that guarantees him any of that."
TOP OF THE CLASS
OG Curtis Black (Theodore Roosevelt HS, Kent, OH) -- A big, powerful blocker that can set the tone with his size for the offensive line. A local product, Black was one of several two-star Scout.com signees. A basketball player, Black possesses better-than-average feet, but still is learning the sport after competing in his only year of football ball last season.
WR Andrew Pratt (Green HS, North Canton, OH) -- Possesses great size at 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds to develop into a quality receiver. Known for his speed and agility after competing in track and basketball in high school.
OG Rodney Carroll (Hargrave Military Academy, Chatham, Va.) -- Outstanding size at 6-foot-6 and 290 pounds to go along with adequate speed. Could be part of the solution to Akron's problems the last few years along the offensive line.
NOTES, QUOTES
Defense will feel Wagner's departure
--LB Brian Wagner elected to use his final year of eligibility at Arizona. Wagner's departure is a huge blow for the defense. He finished with a team and conference high 147 tackles last year, ranking third nationally. Wagner received his degree early at Akron, allowing him to transfer without sitting out a season. The loss of Wagner leaves a big hole, both in production and leadership, in the heart of Akron's defense.
--Kent native Trent Boykin was named as Akron's running backs coach in mid-January. Boykin spent last season as the running backs coach at Wayne State. His main order of business is reviving Akron's running attack, a missing component in the last few years that is one of major reasons for the shortage of wins.
--Former Florida State star cornerback and NFL player Terrell Buckley was one of the more interesting hires by new Coach Terry Bowden. Buckley will coach the cornerbacks at Akron.
SPRING SNAPSHOT:
Practice begins/ends: Spring game April 21.
Practice priorities: The Zips have to develop a consistent, move-the-chains offense to help the defense get some rest. The Zips have lacked playmakers at quarterback, running back and wide receivers combined with ineffective play at offensive line to massive changes and injuries. The Zips can take a step in the right direction by establishing an offensive system that takes time off the clock with sustained drives.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "You have to create a vision in your players, in the fans. I'd like the people to get excited and that excitement to help us. You don't have to go very far from Akron to touch a lot of very good football players." --New Akron Coach Terry Bowden.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
KEY LOSSES: The Zips have some holes to fill along the offensive line, but remain pretty intact on the offensive side, with most of the skill players coming back. However, the Zips were sorely lacking in offensive playmakers, but another season of development should be helpful. The biggest losses from last year's team came on the defensive side, with linebacker Brian Wagner deciding to transfer to Arizona for his senior year. Wagner averaged 13.4 tackles per game last year, and his toughness and big-play production was one of the few bright spots in the last three years. Defensive tackle Oren Wilson was a mainstay along the defensive line and punter Zack Campbell was one of the best punters in the conference last fall.
PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2012:
RB Jawon Chisholm -- Played in all 12 games for the Zips, leading the team in rushing with 961 yards. The true freshman provided some big moments for the Zips, rushing for 188 yards in Akron's lone win of the season over VMI. Chisholm scored five rushing touchdowns and averaged 80.1 yards per game.
QB Clayton Moore -- Now that the Zips have a new coach in Terry Bowden, Moore might have to fight to win his starting job back. Last year, Moore struggled at times because of injuries along the offensive line. Moore showed his ability to run the offense and be a leader through some tough times. He completed 147-of-309 passes for 1,655 yards and nine touchdowns with nine interceptions.
WR Keith Sconiers -- As a sophomore, he led the Zips with 47 receptions and 639 yards and five touchdown categories. The 6-foot-1 Sconiers and junior Marquelo Suel formed a solid combination that the new Akron coach can build upon. Sconiers had eight catches for 154 yards and two touchdowns in Akron's victory over VMI.
--SS Devonte Morgan -- A pleasant surprise in his first season, the Cleveland native is the second-leading returner tackler after the transfer by linebacker Brian Wagner. Morgan finished with 69 tackles, including 44 solo stops, in his freshman season.
PLAYER NOTES
--LB Brian Wagner took advantage of completing his degree with one season of eligibility left to transfer to Arizona and play for new coach Rich Rodriguez. Wagner was a key cog in the middle of Akron's defense the last three seasons, but the losing and desire to test himself against top competition spurred Wagner to leave Akron early.
--DE Nico Caponi was named to the Academic All-Mid-American Conference team. The sophomore led the Zips with three fumble recoveries and tallied 30 tackles in 2011.
--LB Troy Gilmer, a junior, was named honorable mention academic all-conference. Gilmer, who finished second on the team in tackles with 71 last year, takes on a bigger role next year with the unexpected transfer of linebacker Brian Wagner.
