With Florida State searching for its next head coach after parting ways with Mike Norvell, Deion Sanders quickly surfaced as one of the first names in the mix. On paper, it makes sense. Sanders is arguably the greatest player in Florida State history, and from the outside he looks like a natural fit for a program trying to reset.
But the fit may not be as simple as it looks. Sanders has never been universally embraced, and his run at Colorado has only sharpened that divide.
The Buffaloes have been one of the worst teams in college football over the last two seasons, going 3-9 a year ago and sitting at 3-5 now. In Big 12 play, Colorado went 1-8 last season and is currently 1-4.
That record matters, especially for a Florida State job that needs a fast turnaround. Sanders has not yet shown at Colorado that he can deliver that kind of immediate fix.
Still, there appears to be another layer to Florida State’s hesitation. As Noles247 insider Kolby Crawford told CBS Sports on Monday, "While there is an appetite for someone who is an 'FSU guy,' it has been relayed from the top down that some of the baggage that comes with Deion is not desired as they commence this rebuild,"
That explanation is where the skepticism starts. Sanders has always carried himself this way.
This is not a new version of Deion Sanders that suddenly appeared in the last couple of years. Florida State fans knew exactly what they were getting when he was in the program, and many loved him for it.
He has never come across as a bad guy. He has just always believed he was the best on the field, and for most of his playing career, that was true. That edge was part of what made him such a force at Florida State in the first place.
So while there may be other reasons the school is looking elsewhere, the idea that his personality is the problem does not really hold up.
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FSU Leadership Search Just Got More Expensive Than Fans Expected
Florida State has turned to Parker Executive Search to help guide two of the biggest hires in the athletic department, locking in the firm to lead the searches for both an athletic director and a head football coach. The school agreed to pay $175,000 in flat fees, plus reimbursable expenses, for a process that comes with a detailed scope of services, a payment schedule and contract terms designed to keep the searches moving from start to finish.
The agreements also build in some protection for Florida State if the hires do not stick, including a free replacement search if someone leaves within 18 months. There is also an exit plan if the university decides to end the process early, with the financial obligation changing depending on when that happens, a reminder that even a leadership search can become a costly business before the first candidate is ever hired. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Norvells FSU Legacy Came Down To One Brutal QB Reality
Mike Norvells time at Florida State was always going to be judged through the lens of the quarterback room, and for good reason. The Seminoles looked like a different program when Jordan Travis was on the field, with Norvell going 29-10 with him as the starter, but the rest of the tenure never found that same stability. After seven seasons, and following the loss to Clemson, Florida State moved on from Norvell with the position that defined his best stretch also exposing the biggest hole in the program.
The numbers without Travis told the harsher side of the story, as Norvell went 12-29 without him and never fully solved the search for a reliable successor. Transfer quarterbacks came and went, recruiting at the position remained a challenge, and the Seminoles never escaped the feeling that one great answer had masked a deeper issue. For a coach whose legacy in Tallahassee was tied so closely to quarterback play, that reality ended up being impossible to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State's Coaching Search Just Hit A Brutal Reality Check
Florida States search for its next head coach is already running into the kind of reality check that comes with chasing a big-name candidate. After firing Mike Norvell, the Seminoles have launched a national search, and Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz quickly became one of the more talked-about possibilities because of his profile and fit.
Drinkwitz then publicly said he was not interested in the Florida State opening during a press conference, which only underscores how complicated these searches can get behind the scenes. The financial and contractual hurdles would be part of any serious pursuit, but public denials do not always close the door for good, so this is one to keep watching as the search develops. [Read more 🡒]