Florida State’s coaching search may not be reaching far into the unknown. It could circle right back to a familiar face.
With Mike Norvell’s future in Tallahassee looking increasingly shaky, Bruce Feldman reported that Florida State is exploring a possible reunion with former head coach Jimbo Fisher. The timing comes as the university already made a major move this week, firing athletic director Michael Alford.
Norvell’s exit could come as soon as after Saturday’s game against Alabama, and Fisher has emerged as a name to watch if the Seminoles decide to make a change.
Fisher’s history at Florida State is hard to ignore. He coached the Seminoles from 2010 through 2017 and put together an 83-23 record. During that stretch, Florida State won three ACC championships, running the table from 2012 through 2014, and captured the national title in 2013.
There is also reported mutual interest. According to reports, Fisher "really wants" the FSU job if it becomes available and hopes a reunion between the two sides can happen.
The big question is whether Fisher would fit the current college football landscape. After leaving Florida State, he spent the 2018-2023 seasons at Texas A&M, where he went 45-25 before being fired just two weeks before the end of the 2023 season.
His time away from Tallahassee also came before the sport fully shifted into the transfer portal and NIL era, which leaves plenty of uncertainty about how his approach would translate now with constant roster turnover and money-driven movement.
None of that matters if Florida State somehow catches fire and reaches the College Football Playoff, but that remains a long shot. More likely, the focus stays on when the Norvell decision comes down - and whether the Seminoles turn to Fisher for a reunion.
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