New owner visits Bobby Bowden’s home for first time, legacy still felt
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Walking through Bobby Bowden’s Killearn Estates home for the first time, Reagan Hobbs said it was nearly impossible to focus on the house itself.
Everywhere Hobbs looked, there was history — and a tag.
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“There was memorabilia everywhere,” Hobbs told the Tallahassee Democrat. “I got into a whole nostalgic mode seeing different awards — the Bear Bryant Coach of the Year, keys to cities, autographed items. Everywhere you looked, there was a tag on something that was going to be auctioned off.”
Hobbs, 52, a Tallahassee resident and 1995 Florida State graduate, made news March 17 when he emerged as the winning bidder of Bowden's home at $670,000 as the real estate portion of the Bobby Bowden Legacy Auction closed Tuesday night.
With a 10% buyer’s premium, the final sale price totaled $737,000.
The two‑week auction, managed by Wiregrass Auction Group of Thomasville, Georgia, concluded Wednesday, March 18.
By the time bidding wound down, nearly 1,925 registered bidders had participated, placing more than 33,000 bids across 1,568 items, with only seven lots failing to receive a single bid. Those with winning bids began collecting their purchases, which included items in the home, Thursday from the house.
Reagan Hobbs visits Bowden's home for first time
Hobbs, meanwhile, purchased the house without ever stepping inside it — until Thursday morning, March 19.
Bowden bought the home, built in 1971, for $113,500 in 1976 when he became head coach of the Seminoles, according to Leon County Property Appraiser records. The two‑story residence features four bedrooms and 3½ bathrooms, backs up to Killearn Golf Club and sits on just over half an acre.
Hobbs said his first impressions were drawn less to the home’s 4,639 square feet than to the stories embedded in the memorabilia — a reflection of the connection Bowden forged with Tallahassee and Seminole Nation. He said he also talked on the telephone with Bowden's daughter, Ginger.
“It shows how many people he touched,” Hobbs said. “I think it’s brought back so many good memories that people in Tallahassee are longing for with Seminole football. The game has changed so much. It’s almost like people want to go back to a time when you could sit and talk with Coach.”
Hobbs, a local real estate agent, said his plan for now is to keep the home, which will require updates.
The sale is scheduled to close April 17.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: New owner Reagan Hobbs steps inside Bowden's former home for 1st time