Florida State’s coaching search is officially on, and the stakes are obvious: this next hire has to steady the program fast. After moving on from Mike Norvell, the Seminoles are staring at a decision that could either reset the whole operation or drag it deeper into the same mess.
There are plenty of names that will get attention, but not every intriguing candidate is the right fit for what Florida State needs right now. The Seminoles need someone who can deliver immediate traction in the ACC and avoid forcing the program into another expensive, drawn-out gamble. With that in mind, here are four coaches Florida State should steer clear of.
Georgia defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann is the kind of name that can generate buzz in a hurry. He’s been one of the top coordinators in the country for a while, and it’s easy to see why some programs would be tempted to make a big swing.
But the concern is simple: Florida State can’t afford to hand the job to a first-time head coach and hope it all comes together on the fly. The Seminoles need a coach who can start fixing things immediately, and that kind of risk may be too much for where the program sits right now.
Jeff Traylor has built a strong reputation at UTSA and could draw plenty of interest this cycle, especially with his Texas ties. But Florida State has to be careful about one thing in particular: conference results.
Traylor went 3-0 in conference losses in three seasons in Conference USA, then lost nine conference games in four seasons after UTSA moved into the American Conference. The Seminoles have already lived through a stretch where ACC struggles under Norvell made life harder than it needed to be, and they can’t afford to repeat that pattern.
Memphis coach Charles Huff is another name that will be popular during the offseason. He has a solid résumé, including five straight bowl appearances with Marshall and Southern Miss before arriving at Memphis, and he already got the Tigers bowl eligible this season for his sixth straight year doing it.
He also spent time at Alabama from 2019-2020 and earned respect from Nick Saban. Still, Florida State may want to avoid going down a familiar road with a coach who looks ready to move again.
If Huff comes in, wins quickly and then becomes a hot commodity, the Seminoles could be right back in the same spot they were after Norvell’s 2023 season.
Jason Eck at New Mexico is the unconventional name in the group, but he’s also the one with the strongest recent momentum. He started his head coaching career at Idaho in 2022 and has not had a losing season yet.
His worst mark is 7-5 in that first year, and he followed that by winning 19 games over the next two seasons. At New Mexico, he has already delivered the program’s first bowl appearance since the 2016 season, and the Lobos are currently 6-1.
The problem for Florida State is cost. The school is already facing a massive financial hit, with some reports putting the staff cleanout at $68 million, and that could push the Seminoles toward a cheaper hire with more room to spend elsewhere.
Eck would likely come with a bidding war, and Florida State may not want to overpay when roster-building money matters so much.
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