Mike Norvell is taking back the keys to Florida State’s offense.
After stepping away from play-calling duties for the 2025 season, Norvell will once again be the architect of the Seminoles’ attack in 2026. The move comes in the wake of Gus Malzahn’s retirement, a decision that closed the book on a brief but impactful stint in Tallahassee.
Malzahn was brought in last offseason with a singular focus: fix an offense that had completely unraveled in 2024. That year, Florida State’s production plummeted to the bottom of the national rankings - a stunning drop-off for a program with such offensive pedigree. Norvell, recognizing the need to take a broader, CEO-style approach to right the ship, handed over play-calling duties to the former UCF head coach, allowing him to focus on stabilizing the program as a whole.
And at first, the results were promising. FSU opened the 2025 season with a statement win over Alabama - a jolt of energy that quickly erased memories of the two-win campaign the year before.
The Seminoles jumped out to a 3-0 start, surpassing their entire 2024 win total in just three weeks. The offense looked rejuvenated, finishing the season ranked 13th nationally in yards per play (6.70) and averaging 33.0 points per game - a dramatic turnaround from the previous year’s struggles.
But the deeper you dig into the numbers, the more complicated the picture becomes. Once conference play began, the Seminoles sputtered.
They went just 2-6 in ACC games and averaged only 25.1 points per contest in those matchups - good for 38th out of 67 Power Four programs. The early-season fireworks faded, and the offense couldn’t sustain its momentum against tougher, more familiar competition.
With Malzahn stepping away from coaching altogether this February, FSU moved quickly to promote wide receivers coach Tim Harris Jr. to offensive coordinator. But make no mistake - this will be Norvell’s offense once again. According to a program source, the head coach will resume primary play-calling duties in 2026, returning to a role he held from 2022 through 2024, and previously during his time at Memphis.
This marks a return to what has long been Norvell’s identity: a hands-on, offensive-minded coach who thrives when he’s directly involved in game-planning and in-game adjustments. His track record at FSU has had its peaks and valleys, but there’s no question that his best work came when he was calling the shots.
Take 2022, for example. That season, the Seminoles averaged 6.96 yards per play - seventh-best in the country - and put up 36.1 points per game, ranking 16th nationally.
In 2023, those numbers dipped slightly but remained solid: 34.6 PPG (18th) and 6.27 YPP (30th). Then came the 2024 collapse, where FSU fell to 15.4 points per game - dead last among FBS teams - and just 4.42 yards per play, ranking 132nd.
Norvell’s decision to step back in 2025 was a calculated one, aimed at restoring the program’s foundation. Now, with that groundwork laid and a more robust support system in place - including general manager John Garrett and director of football and player acquisition Taylor Edwards - he’s ready to take the reins again.
The 2026 season will be a pivotal one for Norvell and Florida State. The offense showed signs of life under Malzahn, but consistency remains elusive. Now, it’s up to Norvell to bring the vision full circle - blending the explosive potential we saw early last season with the kind of sustained execution that wins games deep into conference play.
He’s done it before. The question now is whether he can do it again - and whether this return to his play-calling roots will be the spark that finally gets Florida State back to where it wants to be.