Florida State is officially in the market for a new head coach, and the search is going to matter just as much as the firing itself. Mike Norvell’s run ended after a 13-1 season in 2023 was followed by 22 losses since the playoff snub, and the most recent defeat to Clemson stretched the current skid to three games. With the athletic director search likely intertwined with the coaching decision, the Seminoles are staring at a hire that could either reset the program or drag it deeper into the same mess.
There are plenty of names that will get attention, but not every appealing candidate is the right fit for Florida State right now. The Seminoles need a coach who can stabilize things fast, handle ACC competition, and avoid creating another expensive cycle of hope and disappointment.
One name that will draw buzz is Georgia defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann. He has built a strong reputation as one of the top coordinators in the country, and it would be easy to see why Florida State might swing big.
But the problem is simple: he has never been a head coach before, and the Seminoles can’t really afford to spend another season at the bottom of the ACC while someone learns on the job. Schumann could succeed, but this program needs a proven fix, not a gamble.
UTSA coach Jeff Traylor is another candidate who makes sense on the surface. He has Texas ties, a strong profile, and plenty of name recognition in coaching circles.
Still, his conference record raises a red flag. Traylor went 3-3 in Conference USA over three seasons, then has lost nine conference games in four years since UTSA moved to the American Conference.
Florida State already lived through a stretch of ACC frustration under Norvell, and the next coach has to show he can win league games, not just build a respectable overall record.
Memphis coach Charles Huff brings a different kind of appeal. He has a winning track record, with five straight bowl appearances at Marshall and Southern Miss before arriving at Memphis, and he already got the Tigers bowl eligible this season for his sixth straight bowl year.
He also built a strong roster through the transfer portal and spent time at Alabama from 2019-2020, where he earned respect from Nick Saban. But Florida State has to be careful not to repeat the same cycle it just went through.
Huff has moved around a lot, and if he pops immediately in Tallahassee, the same kind of contract pressure that followed Norvell’s 2023 surge could show up again.
Then there’s New Mexico coach Jason Eck, who may not be the flashy choice, but has put together a résumé that will force people to pay attention. Eck started as a head coach at Idaho in 2022, went 7-5 in his first season there, then won 19 games over the next two years.
After taking over at New Mexico, he delivered the program’s first bowl appearance since the 2016 season. He has not had a losing season yet, and the Lobos are currently 6-1.
Players like being around him, and he has said he wants to make coaching at New Mexico into a job people want. Still, he would not come cheap.
That cost matters. Florida State is already facing a massive financial hit, with reports saying a full staff cleanout could cost $68 million.
The Seminoles need improvement, but they also need to be smart about how they spend. A bidding war for Eck, especially with programs like Colorado potentially involved, could drain money that should go toward building the roster.
For Florida State, the next coach has to be more than promising. He has to be the right balance of proven, affordable, and ready to win now.
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Braves Defense Just Earned A National Stamp Of Approval
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Olson added another Gold Glove at first base, while Dubn was rewarded for his versatility as a utility player, a reminder that the Braves defensive profile has not rested on one spot or one style. The recognition also puts Atlanta back in a familiar place among the leagues best gloves, with the club now waiting to see whether this kind of all-around excellence can keep stacking up in the seasons ahead. [Read more 🡒]