Reagan Hobbs, a Tallahassee real estate investor and Florida State alumnus, purchased legendary football coach Bobby Bowden’s former home for $737,000 at auction. The 52-year-old Hobbs emerged as the winning bidder with a final bid of $670,000, plus a 10% buyer’s premium, when the real estate portion of the Bobby Bowden Legacy Auction closed March 17. The two-week auction was managed by Wiregrass Auction Group of Thomasville, Georgia.
“It’s such a historic place, and it’s special to my family,” Hobbs told the Tallahassee Democrat. The FSU graduate, who earned his degree in marketing communications in 1995, was sitting in a local hospital with his mother and brother as his father recovered from surgery when the bidding intensified. Despite initially planning to stop bidding at $600,000, Hobbs found himself locked in a bidding war with another buyer.
“Maybe this person lives in Europe or somewhere and has no connection to Tallahassee or FSU football,” said Hobbs, explaining his decision to continue bidding. “I can’t lose to this person.” The real estate investor had promised himself he would stay disciplined during the auction process, but his affection for Florida State and Bowden took over. “Next thing you know, I ended up winning it,” he said.
Bowden and his wife Ann purchased the Killearn Estates home for $113,500 in January 1976 after he was hired at FSU from West Virginia. The legendary coach lived in the 4,639-square-foot residence for 34 years, winning two national championships before his death in 2021 at age 91. The four-bedroom, 3½-bath “New Traditional French” style home sits on a 0.57-acre lot with frontage along the private Killearn Club golf course.
Hobbs’ family has deep ties to Bowden and Florida State University. His father, Ronald Hobbs, served as a national chairman of the Seminole Boosters in the late 1990s, and his parents were close to the legendary coach. All three of Hobbs’ children - Clayton, Hailey and Carson - are FSU graduates, and he met his wife Stacey at the university.
“I texted my wife and told her I bought Bowden’s house,” said Hobbs, who also owns the Golf Club of Summerbrooke. His wife’s response highlighted the family’s history with sports memorabilia purchases: “She said, ‘No, you didn’t. You can’t even get rid of the Burt Reynolds stuff.’” Hobbs had previously purchased memorabilia connected to another iconic FSU figure, Burt Reynolds, including items from Reynolds’ personal office.
Despite driving past the property countless times over the years, Hobbs has never actually been inside the home. “It was pretty cool,” Hobbs said of his winning bid. “The thing is, I have no idea what I’m going to do with it yet - but it’s such a neat, historical piece.” Leon County most recently valued the property at approximately $681,000.
The auction also included more than 1,500 pieces of Bowden’s memorabilia, personal belongings and family heirlooms. Bidding on the personal property portion was divided into two lots, with the initial lot ending March 17 and the second lot scheduled to end March 18 at 6 p.m. Ann Bowden, who celebrated her 93rd birthday last September, has moved to Alabama to live with family.
“I didn’t want to take the chance that someone would tear it down and sell the land,” said Hobbs, explaining his motivation for the purchase. “I just couldn’t let that happen.” The new owner was determined to prevent the historic property from being demolished by a buyer with no connection to the university or Tallahassee. For now, the future of the property remains undecided, but Hobbs is content knowing it’s in the hands of someone who understands what it represents.
The real estate contract could take up to 24 hours to be finalized following the auction’s close. The sale marks the end of an era for the Killearn Estates home that served as the residence for one of college football’s most successful coaches for more than four decades.