FanHouse Jimbo Fisher

It's becoming clear that Florida State's Bobby Bowden, who turn 80 on Sunday, wants to coach the Seminoles in 2010.

The feisty Bowden has tipped his hand many times since coming under fire from high-level boosters, fans and the media following a 2-4 start.

Consecutive victories over North Carolina and North Carolina State have helped quiet restless critics -- and a victory Saturday at Clemson would vault FSU into second place in the ACC Atlantic Division -- and Bowden said Wednesday he will make the final call on who replaces retiring Mickey Andrews as defensive coordinator.

However, Bowden also stressed that head coach-in-waiting Jimbo Fisher will make a strong contribution to the process, so don't expect a disagreement conspiracy between the pair.

Florida State coach Bobby Bowden remains mum on exactly when he plans to hang up his whistle and clip board and turn the reigns of the Seminoles' program over to offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher.

While speculation begins that this could be the farewell tour for the coaching legend, who recorded his 378th head coaching victory against N.C. State on Thursday, Florida State's players are left in the dark about Bowden's impending retirement decision.

"I have no idea when he'll step down," sophomore quarterback Christian Ponder said. "I think as long he is healthy and he feels like he can be out here, he'll be out here. I don't know if that will be this year, next year or five years down the road."

The 'Noles' players still see a fire burning inside of Bowden, and as long as he's got that, they believe he'll be patroling the sidelines in Tallahassee.

A frightening quote for any Florida State fan looking for an infusion of fresh blood into the program:

"This is my last shot," coach Bobby Bowden says. "I'm 77 and I doubt I can go past 87."

The only fresh blood the program acquires will be when Bowden transforms into a bat and harasses the comely young lasses of Tallahassee in the night. Okay, okay, the 'Noles did just hire LSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher at a near-head-coach salary -- ditching Bowden spawn Jeff along the way -- and that counts as fresh blood.

But Bowden appears just as willing as Joe Paterno to "coach" his team long after he's devolved into a media-interacting figurehead that damages the program he built from scratch. With cash-strapped Miami struggling to keep up in the new era of Facilities Arms Race, Florida may be poised to dominate its instate bretheren for a long time.