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...
Florida Suddenly Has A Bigger Vernell Brown Problem Than Expected
Floridas offense took a hit before it ever got to Jacksonville, with wide receiver Vernell Brown III ruled out against Georgia after aggravating a knee injury in practice. He had initially been listed as probable, but the setback brought swelling that kept him from playing, leaving the Gators to adjust on the fly without one of their more important receiving options.
Jon Sumralls update made the situation sound less like a routine game-day scratch and more like an issue Florida will have to monitor closely. Browns absence was felt in an offense that struggled in the game, and for a team trying to steady itself, the bigger concern now is whether this turns into more than a one-week problem. [Read more 🡒]
Floridas No. 1 Start Gets An Immediate Test From Miami
Floridas preseason No. 1 ranking comes with very little time to settle in. The Gators open in Tampa against No. 14 Miami, a matchup that immediately puts the spotlight on a roster that returns most of its scoring from last seasons SEC championship team and enters with the weight that comes with being the top team in the country.
Miami brings its own storyline into the opener, with a rebuilt roster looking to show it can hang with one of the sports standard-bearers. The teams already know each other well after meeting twice last season, and Florida won both, but this first-night meeting offers a fresh chance to see how much has changed on both sides. [Read more 🡒]
Floridas Oklahoma Outlook Comes Down To One Huge Offensive Question
The Week 10 matchup with Oklahoma at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is shaping up as one of those games where Floridas offensive health could matter as much as the opponent across the line. A simulation-based projection lays out two very different paths for the Gators, one built around a best-case return of key pieces such as Vernell Brown III, and another that leans more heavily on what Florida has shown recently and who is available when the Sooners arrive on Nov. 7, 2026.
What makes the outlook so interesting is how much of it hinges on one big offensive question rather than a simple talent comparison. The projection digs into early-down success, third-down execution and turnover chances, all of which point to a game flow that could tilt quickly depending on whether Florida can stay on schedule and keep its playmakers on the field. For a team trying to sort out its ceiling, this one feels like a test of both depth and timing. [Read more 🡒]