Florida State’s next coaching move could shape the program for years, and the list of possible replacements for Mike Norvell runs from proven head coaches to elite assistants with championship pedigrees.
The Seminoles are staring at a major decision, and the job is about more than simply finding a familiar name. Whoever takes over would need to rebuild the roster, keep recruiting moving in the right direction and handle the financial realities that now come with a coaching change. That matters here, because the cost of making a move could complicate everything Florida State wants to do.
Manny Diaz would bring both Florida ties and head coaching experience. The Duke coach is a Florida State graduate, and his résumé also includes a run as Miami’s head coach before he rebuilt his stock as Penn State’s defensive coordinator.
At Duke, he has shown he can lead a program without the kind of resources the biggest brands enjoy. He also knows Florida recruiting, has plenty of ACC experience and could give Florida State a defensive identity.
The obvious questions are whether the school would hire a former Miami head coach and whether Diaz would leave the stability he has found at Duke.
Kenny Dillingham is another name with a direct Florida State connection. He worked as Norvell’s offensive coordinator in 2020 and 2021, so he already knows the program from the inside.
Since taking over at Arizona State, he has shown he can build a competitive team through development, recruiting and offensive creativity. That familiarity with Tallahassee would help, but his link to Norvell could make the hire feel awkward.
The bigger issue may be whether Florida State could pry him away from Arizona State, where he has built strong personal and professional relationships.
Rhett Lashlee would give the Seminoles an accomplished offensive mind. The SMU coach has guided the program through its move into the ACC and shown he can handle the pressure that comes with a school investing heavily in football.
His offensive background fits a Florida State program that has long wanted to recapture the explosive style of its championship years. Lashlee also understands the ACC and the importance of quarterback development.
Still, SMU’s financial commitment to football could make him tough to land.
If Florida State wants to go in a different direction, Glenn Schumann is the defensive assistant on the list. Georgia’s defensive coordinator has worked under Kirby Smart and helped build units tied to the Bulldogs’ national championship success.
He also has experience inside Nick Saban’s Alabama program. Schumann knows the recruiting, development and organizational standards that come with competing at the top level.
The catch is simple: he has never been a head coach. After Norvell’s struggles, Florida State has to decide whether it wants a proven program leader or a high-upside assistant.
Charles Huff rounds out the group as a coach with a track record of building rosters and managing turnover. He has been a head coach at Marshall and Southern Miss, and before that he spent time at Alabama and Penn State.
That background gave him experience in recruiting and player development, and his familiarity with the Southeast could help at Florida State. He also understands the transfer portal, which would matter in any rebuild.
There’s even a connection to Norvell, who came to Florida State after establishing himself at Memphis. Hiring another former Memphis head coach might raise eyebrows, but Huff’s broader résumé makes him worth a look.
Florida State is trying to avoid another long rebuild, and that reality hangs over the decision. The school has to balance the cost of a coaching change with the money required to hire the right replacement and assemble a competitive roster.
Diaz, Dillingham and Lashlee bring head coaching experience. Schumann offers the appeal of a respected assistant from a championship program.
Huff brings experience rebuilding teams and handling roster churn. The next choice will go a long way toward determining whether Florida State gets back to national prominence or keeps searching for the stability it has been missing.
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Wake Forest Suddenly Looks Like A Real ACC Threat
Wake Forests surge has gone from encouraging to impossible to ignore. The Demon Deacons rolled past Virginia 51-7 for their fourth straight blowout win, and the latest one came with the kind of balance that makes a team look legitimate on both sides of the ball. Carlos Hernandez and Gio Lopez both helped fuel the offense as Wake Forest kept piling up points, while the defense smothered the Cavaliers from start to finish.
At 7-1 overall and 5-1 in the ACC, the Deacons have put themselves squarely in the conversation for the ACC Championship Game. The bigger question now is whether this run can hold up as the schedule tightens, especially after Lopez had to leave briefly in the third quarter following an apparent knee injury on a late hit. For a team that suddenly looks like a real threat in the league race, his status is the kind of detail that could shape what comes next. [Read more 🡒]