Mike Norvell went into this offseason with a rare chance to reset Florida State fast. After the Seminoles were beaten by Notre Dame by 49 points in November of 2024, athletic director Michael Alford and the athletic department chose the cheaper path: move on from nearly everyone around Norvell rather than the head coach himself, who had signed an eight-year, $84 million extension the previous offseason.
That meant offensive coordinator Alex Atkins, defensive coordinator Adam Fuller, and wide receivers coach Ron Dugans were all out the next day. Later in the offseason, longtime FSU defensive line coach Odell Haggins was shifted into an off-field role.
Norvell’s final stretch in 2024 was never really about salvaging that season. The Seminoles were already 1-9, with a bye week, then Charleston Southern, then Florida left on the schedule. What mattered was the three-week runway he had to reshape the staff and try to repair the program for 2025.
He tried to split the difference. On offense, he brought in Gus Malzahn, a familiar face who gave him his first big break and who runs a similar system. On defense, he swung for something much different, hiring Tony White, a coordinator with no prior relationship to him who uses a 3-3-5 look not even seen in FBS football.
Both hires came with reinforcements. Malzahn brought offensive line coach Herb Hand and wide receivers coach Tim Harris Jr. from UCF. White brought defensive line coach Terrance Knighton and safeties coach Evan Cooper from Nebraska.
Fourteen games later, there’s not much to celebrate from any of it.
Florida State has dropped eight of its last 10 games against Power Four opponents, and the latest loss came at home in miserable fashion. The Seminoles won the turnover battle 4-1 and controlled time of possession.
They also had fewer penalties. None of it mattered.
They walked off Bobby Bowden Field with another empty result and another performance that was hard to watch, driven by bad coaching and bad schematics.
“Tonight, coming off of it, just another close game, a lot of one plays,” Norvell said in his postgame press conference. “You think back through it, some of the explosive plays that we gave up defensively, some of missed opportunities there offensively.”
The offense was supposed to be limited this season, but what Florida State has put on the field has no spark at all. Malzahn’s sudden retirement before spring practice shoved Norvell back into the role of playcaller, and after two games of evidence, that does not look like a strength anymore.
The Seminoles finished 2-of-15 on third down on Monday. They did go 2-of-4 on fourth down, but the first decision to go for it - 4th-and-1 at their own 45 - turned into one of the game’s worst calls, a turnover on downs that helped create a 14-7 hole soon after.
Malzahn’s lone season as FSU’s playcaller was uneven, but the first two games back under Norvell have been so flat that it almost makes the Malzahn version feel appealing by comparison.
White’s arrival was supposed to represent something fresh. He came in with an energetic public presence, was talked about as a “mad scientist,” and arrived with two coaches who had NFL backgrounds to help install the system for both holdovers and newcomers. The resume looked good too: Nebraska finished top-20 nationally in total defense in 2024.
But the paper version hasn’t translated on the field.
Even after forcing three turnovers Monday, White’s defense was picked apart. Florida State gave up nearly 600 yards, 8.7 yards per play, and 8 of 14 third-down conversions. The Mustangs also hit three passes of 50-plus yards.
The biggest problem is that even in year two, the defense still looks like it doesn’t fully know what it’s doing. Coverage busts keep showing up.
The front has been just as disappointing. Knighton’s defensive line hasn’t produced enough, and the players White was counting on to take a step forward have not done it.
Daniel Lyons had no stats on the scoresheet last week. Mandrell Desir, one of the highest-paid players on the roster, did not record a tackle against SMU.
Among the seven Seminole defensive linemen with at least 10 pass-rush snaps, none earned a pass-rush grade above 65.0 from Pro Football Focus. Florida State also did not get a sack.
That means Knighton has matched his number of cryptic Twitter posts since the start of fall camp, 3, with FSU’s sack total this season.
The back end hasn’t held up either. Norvell said the defense spent all week hammering communication, even going so far as to play crowd noise in practice to prepare for a loud environment.
It still didn’t clean things up. Ashlynd Barker played well against SMU, but the busted coverages and poor angles point back to coaching and execution.
Safeties CJ Richard Jr. and Ma’Khi Jones, both transfers added because they fit the scheme, each played more than 59 snaps and both finished with a coverage grade under 60 according to PFF. Richard posted the better overall defensive grade of the two at 60.3.
Florida State lost on defense because the front seven, which the staff had praised all season, could not generate pressure. That forced White to blitz, and the result was more space, more mistakes, and more breakdowns behind it.
Around the country, the right coordinators can change everything. Norvell had a real shot to climb out of his 2024 mess by getting two strong play callers in place. Instead, those choices may end up being the last major ones he makes before what looks like his inevitable firing.
In Other News...
FSU Fans Are Confronting One Brutal Mike Norvell Reality
Mike Norvells tenure at Florida State has reached the point where the frustration is no longer just about one bad stretch or one disappointing season. Seven years into the job, the Seminoles are staring at a 39-35 record under his watch, and the recent slide has made the conversation around the program feel heavier than it did even a year ago. What once looked like a long-term build now has fans weighing patience against the reality of how long the skid has lasted.
Money only makes that conversation harder to ignore. Norvells 2024 extension runs through 2031 and includes a modest base salary with supplemental income that rises each year, but the real issue is the buyout, which sits around $46.7 million. That kind of number puts Florida State in a familiar college football bind: even when a program starts asking tough questions about direction, the cost of making a change can be almost as daunting as standing pat. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Norvell's Future Just Became A Tough Florida State Debate
Florida States recent slide has turned Mike Norvells tenure into one of the more complicated discussions in the sport, because this is no longer just about wins and losses. The Seminoles are coming off a 13-1 season, but the stretch since then has been rough, with an 8-18 record overall and a 3-14 mark in ACC play, a downturn that has changed the temperature around the program in a hurry.
The harder part for Florida State is what comes next, because Norvells long-term contract is a major financial commitment. His 8-year, $84 million extension carries a buyout estimated at around $45 million if the school were to move on, which means the universitys decision may hinge as much on the rest of this season as on the frustration already building in the fan base. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Fans Have A Costly Portal Question After Week 1
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Mike Norvell is now dealing with the kind of scrutiny that comes when expectations and production drift apart early. High-value additions such as quarterback Ashton Daniels and running back Quintrevion Wisner have not matched the hope that came with their arrival, and the debate around which transfers were worth the spending is only getting louder. For a fan base already frustrated by the loss, the lingering portal question is no longer just about who came in, but whether the Seminoles spent in the right places at all. [Read more 🡒]