Paul Finebaum didn’t mince words when Florida State came up on McElroy and Cubelic, and his verdict on the Seminoles was as harsh as it gets.
With FSU sitting 3-5 in 2026 and coming off back-to-back losing seasons, Finebaum painted a grim picture of the program’s standing and its future. He zeroed in less on the roster than on the people running the show, questioning whether the job in Tallahassee is even worth the trouble.
“This is where I would tell you I don’t think that’s a good job at all,” Finebaum said. “That program has been devalued.
Its national image has taken a major hit. And can it be resurrected?
I don’t know.”
He kept going, making it clear his skepticism is aimed squarely at Florida State’s leadership.
“Until somebody convinces me that they actually know what they’re doing at Florida State, I would be hesitant to take that job, and right now I don’t think they know what they’re doing,” Finebaum continued.
The criticism fits a familiar pattern. Finebaum has often used Florida State as a punching bag, and this time the administration was the main target. Still, even he admitted the job comes with real advantages: a strong recruiting area and a conference he views as manageable.
McElroy pushed back with a more upbeat read on the situation. He said he still sees Florida State as a strong opening for the right coach.
“I still think it’s a really good job,” McElroy said.
He pointed to the Seminoles’ brand, the talent nearby, and the chance to compete for championships as reasons the next coach could still build something big in Tallahassee. McElroy later added, “You can win, and you can be a perennial playoff team if you get it right,” and also said, “Florida State’s financial situation is a little better than people want to realize ... Once you do a little due diligence on that, you’ll realize it’s not nearly as dead-end as people might think.”
The bigger issue, though, is the mess Florida State has to clean up first. The school needs to hire a permanent athletic director after firing Michael Alford earlier this year, and it also needs a clear, convincing plan for how the next head coach is supposed to turn things around.
That’s the backdrop for a program whose recent coaching history has been expensive in every sense. Mike Norvell left with an estimated $50+ million, Willie Taggart got a $17 million buyout, and before that Jimbo Fisher departed for a 10-year, $75 million deal at Texas A&M. Florida State’s coaching carousel has delivered huge paydays, but the on-field return has been a different story.
In Other News...
Florida State Fans Can Cross One More Name Off The Search List
The Florida State coaching search picked up another layer of clarity this week when Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz addressed the speculation head-on before his teams matchup with Texas. Rather than letting the rumor mill keep spinning, Drinkwitz said publicly that he is not a candidate for the Seminoles opening, while shifting the focus back to Missouris preparation and the challenge of slowing down Texas quarterback Arch Manning.
Drinkwitz has been at Missouri since 2020 and recently signed a six-year contract extension, two details that already made the fit look complicated for Florida State. Even so, his name had lingered in the conversation as the Seminoles sorted through possibilities, and his comments now remove one more prominent option from the list as the search continues to unfold. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State May Have Found Its Dan Lanning Style Hire
Florida States coaching search is starting to take on the shape of a familiar modern blueprint, with Glenn Schumann emerging as a name that fits the profile of a program looking for both continuity and edge. After Dan Lanning left Georgia for Oregon, Schumann stepped into the defensive coordinator role and helped guide a top-ranked unit during Georgias national championship run, adding another layer to a rsum already built on championship environments and high-level development.
For the Seminoles, the appeal goes beyond the scheme. Schumann has spent years helping mold NFL-caliber linebackers and has been part of multiple title teams at Alabama and Georgia, which gives him the kind of credibility programs lean on when they want a proven builder rather than a gamble. With Florida State searching for its next head coach after firing Mike Norvell, Schumann stands out as the sort of defensive-minded hire that could bring a clear identity from day one. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State's Coaching Search Just Hit A Brutal Reality Check
Florida States coaching search is already running into the kind of public resistance that tends to come with a high-profile opening. Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz addressed the speculation directly and said he is not interested in the Seminoles job, a notable development as Florida State works through a national search after firing Mike Norvell.
Even with a firm denial on the record, the situation is rarely that simple in a search of this magnitude. Florida State would still have to navigate the financial and contractual realities of making a hire like Drinkwitz, and the broader truth of coaching searches is that public comments do not always end the conversation. [Read more 🡒]