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.
In Other News...
Falcons Head To Madrid With New Concerns And A Possible Boost
The Falcons are heading into their trip to Madrid still trying to shake off a strange 16-0 loss to Tampa Bay, one that stood out even by the standards of an off day. Atlanta did not allow a completed pass and still came away empty, a reminder that the defense did enough in one area but the offense never found a way to turn the game into anything manageable.
Kevin Stefanski said the injury picture is not getting cleaner before the matchup with Cincinnati, with Samson Ebukam and Zachariah Branch both unavailable because of hamstring issues. There is at least one potential lift on the horizon, though, as James Pearce Jr. is back in the conversation after completing an eight-game suspension, giving Atlanta a possible reinforcement as it tries to steady itself on an international stage. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Just Got Outplayed In The Exact Way They Wanted To Win
Rainy conditions in Week 8 turned into a ground-game test, and it was Tampa Bay that controlled it. The Buccaneers leaned hard on the run and came away with a 16-0 win, while Atlanta never found the same kind of rhythm on the ground despite having Bijan Robinson in the backfield. It was the sort of game the Falcons usually want to make their own, only this time they were the ones getting pushed around in it.
The matchup carried a little extra edge because Zac Robinson was on the other sideline as Tampa Bays offensive coordinator, facing Atlanta for the first time since leaving. Instead of the Falcons dictating terms with their rushing attack, the Buccaneers were the more effective and more committed team in that phase, which only sharpened the frustration for Atlanta. For a club built to lean on the run, getting outplayed there is the kind of result that lingers. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Just Got A Huge Pass Rush Boost At The Right Time
The Falcons got a timely lift for a pass rush that could use it, reinstating edge rusher James Pearce Jr. and making him eligible to rejoin the mix for their Week 9 matchup against the Bengals. Pearce led Atlanta in sacks last season, and his return gives the defense a proven edge presence at a point in the schedule when pressure off the corner can change the tone of a game.
To clear the way, Atlanta moved on from defensive lineman Jared Ivey and defensive end Drake Jackson, a reminder that roster churn is part of the cost of getting healthier. The bigger question now is how quickly Pearce can slide back into the rotation and whether the Falcons can turn that added pressure into the kind of disruption they have been looking for all season. [Read more 🡒]