Normally, the turning point in a coach's tenure occurs on the field, during or after a specific game. Mike Norvell's occurred in a Florida State meeting room on Dec. 3, 2023.
On that day, the Seminoles learned they had been left out of the College Football Playoff despite an undefeated regular season and an ACC championship. When the news came down, Norvell leaned forward in his chair, in justified disbelief.
No one knew it at that moment, but Norvell would never bounce back in his time at FSU. Even though he received a lucrative new contract months later and FSU appeared poised for more success under him, the program couldn't build on its ACC title. Instead, things went sharply the other way, as the Seminoles went 2-10 in 2024, winning only one ACC game. After opening the 2025 season with a cathartic win against Alabama, the Seminoles again stumbled to a losing record, winning only two conference contests.
Norvell entered this season on the hottest of seats, amid a swarm of negativity. The mid-September firing of athletic director Michael Alford signaled Norvell would likely be next, and following a 3-5 start, Florida State fired its coach Sunday. Norvell's tenure ends midway through Year 7 with an overall record of 41-39 at FSU. He lost 17 of his last 21 ACC games with the Noles.
His downfall can be traced to several factors, including poor coaching hires and on-field missteps, but none jumps out more than roster building. Norvell couldn't find the right personnel formula, and when cracks emerged in his transfer-reliant model, the team fell apart and position groups like the offensive line couldn't get on track.
Florida State must replace Norvell with a coach who has a clearer vision for the roster and can ultimately upgrade the talent level and capitalize on a region packed with capable players. The Seminoles were a recruiting heavyweight for decades under Bobby Bowden, and remained so under Jimbo Fisher. They should never be at a significant talent deficit, and will be competing in the state with pedal-down recruiters such as Miami's Mario Cristobal and Florida's Jon Sumrall.
The school also has to do its part to attract strong candidates, and without a permanent athletic director in place. What are the roster resources really like? FSU's money problems go back to the end of Fisher's tenure. How much power will the new coach have in structuring a strong front office? Candidates also must assess the administrative environment with a new AD coming in soon.
Norvell didn't have ties to FSU when he arrived. His successor doesn't necessarily need them, either, although familiarity with the area and the ACC wouldn't hurt. The pool includes some candidates who might seem like a reach, but Florida State has to make them say no at such a critical time.
Eight candidates for the job
Wake Forest coach Jake Dickert: The most exciting thing about Dickert is his approach toward personnel, which could be very beneficial after the Norvell era. Dickert and talented general manager Rob Schlaeger have a detailed system of identifying players, and should benefit from a school with better resources, history and location. He now has ACC experience and has far exceeded outside expectations at Wake Forest, going 15-5 in two seasons. Dickert, 43, doesn't have ties to Florida but didn't have ties to Washington State or Wake Forest either, and won at both places. He will be very much in demand for the upcoming cycle, and FSU should at least inquire.
Duke coach Manny Diaz: Will FSU view Diaz as the former fired Miami coach, or as an alum who has succeeded in multiple spots and led Duke to a surprise ACC championship just last season? If it's the latter, the 52-year-old certainly should be under consideration. He's more associated with Miami (his father, Manny, was the city's mayor), but Diaz attended Florida State and began his coaching career as a graduate assistant with Bowden and Mickey Andrews. Fired at Miami with a 21-15 record, Diaz rebooted his career with successful stops as Penn State's defensive coordinator and now at Duke, which has increased its investment in football. Still, Florida State's history and access to talent could tempt Diaz, who knows his home state and the league very well.
Georgia defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann: Florida State might only target those with head coaching experience, but Schumann is an intriguing coordinator option because he has been part of two elite-level programs at Georgia and Alabama. Schumann was a student assistant and graduate assistant for Nick Saban, when Alabama won four national titles. His on-field experience has come under Kirby Smart at Georgia, which won consecutive national titles in 2021 and 2022 with Schumann as co-defensive coordinator. The 36-year-old was born in Valdosta, Georgia, not far from Tallahassee, and knows the region well. Prior to the season, one industry source said "Florida State would make a lot of sense" for Schumann.
SMU coach Rhett Lashlee: He would be an excellent hire for Florida State and damage an ACC competitor at the same time. The question is: Would Lashlee leave a great situation in Dallas for a seemingly turbulent one in Tallahassee? FSU absolutely has to try to can underscore its historic success, an excellent location for talent and a desire to restore the standard of performance. Lashlee, 43, spent two successful seasons in the state as Miami's offensive coordinator. He also has made stops at Auburn, and guided SMU to a CFP appearance in its first season as an ACC member. Lashlee is 43-18 with the Mustangs.
Jimbo Fisher: File this under the "anything can happen in college football, Bobby Petrino returned to Arkansas" tab, but Fisher certainly would like to coach again and has, recently, talked more fondly of his time in Tallahassee since he left. He might be a nonstarter to some around FSU, and his struggles at Texas A&M, especially on offense, don't help his candidacy. But Fisher, 60, was the last coach to truly have things rolling in Tally. Between 2012 and 2016, Fisher and FSU had five straight 10-win seasons, four AP top-10 finishes, three ACC titles and a national championship. He also thrived in recruiting in ways Norvell never did. Fisher also doesn't need the money and could likely be hired under an extremely school-friendly contract.
Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham: Like Lashlee, Dillingham is unlikely to leave a good situation for an uncertain one in Tallahassee. He's also very close to Norvell, which could impact his interest level. But he spent 2020 and 2021 as Florida State's offensive coordinator, and understands the challenges and opportunities at the program. He led Arizona State to a Big 12 title and a playoff appearance in 2024, but the Sun Devils have fallen off since. The 36-year-old Dillingham likely would bring a fresh approach toward personnel, and experience from Oregon, Auburn and elsewhere.
Missouri coach Eliah Drinkwitz: His name surfaced during an active coaching cycle in 2025, including for other jobs in the SEC, but he stayed put for a seventh season at Missouri. Drinkwitz likely would only leave the SEC for one of the better jobs in another league, and Florida State would have to sell him on its roster budget and overall investment in the program. The 43-year-old has shown he can recruit and succeed with portal players. He also has a clear vision for how he runs his program. Drinkwitz has some ACC experience at NC State, but has never coached in Florida or the Southeast. He's 64-32 overall as an FBS coach with a No. 8 finish in 2023. Mizzou recently romped past then No. 8 Florida, but has struggled against ranked opponents.
New Mexico coach Jason Eck: He has no connection to Florida State or the Southeast but it really shouldn't matter. Eck understands how to build programs and could reinforce some of the personnel shortcomings FSU endured under Norvell. The 49-year-old has shown he can win in very tough places (Idaho and New Mexico), without the resources or history that a place like FSU would offer. A former Wisconsin offensive lineman, Eck would bring a renewed focus to line play, and New Mexico has produced the nation's No. 1 scoring defense this fall (11.3 ppg allowed). Eck is 16-5 at UNM and 42-18 as a college coach. -- Adam Rittenberg
Five important players to retain
WR Micahi Danzy: A two-sport star who also runs track, Danzy is one of the fastest athletes in college football and has proven he can be a difference-maker with the Seminoles. The 6-foot-1, 194-pound wideout has put up 1,342 all-purpose yards and nine touchdowns on 73 career touches and was Florida State's second-leading receiver last season with a trio of 100-yard performances. Danzy is also an All-ACC performer in track who ran a conference-record 44.38 in the 400 at the ACC outdoor championships in 2025, and he hit a max speed of 21.6 mph last season in pads, which ranked third fastest among ACC wideouts, according to Teamworks data. Danzy has two more years of eligibility and is one of several young wideouts, along with Jayvan Boggs and Jasen Lopez, who will be important to keep.
RB Ousmane Kromah: Kromah, a top-150 recruit in the 2025 class, shared carries in a crowded backfield as a freshman but took over as the Seminoles' featured ball carrier in his second year and shined. The physical 6-foot-1, 216-pound back suffered a season-ending ankle injury against Miami but was among the ACC's best backs through seven games, ranking fifth in the conference in rushing with 609 yards and five TDs. Kromah brought steady production with 100-plus yards from scrimmage in four games and had an FBS-leading 53 forced missed tackles before he got injured, according to ESPN Research. Kromah will have three more years of eligibility after this season.
DL Mandrell Desir and Darryll Desir: When Florida State stuck with Norvell for 2026, one of the program's most important retention wins was convincing the Desir twins to stay after they announced they were entering the portal. The brothers were not highly touted recruits and came into Florida State as late flips from UCF, but they flashed big-time potential as freshmen. Mandrell (6-foot-4, 270 pounds) earned Freshman All-America recognition after racking up 6.5 sacks in his debut season. He and Darryll (6-5, 259) have 77 tackles and 12.5 TFLs so far in their time with the Seminoles. Both have three years of eligibility remaining and planned to be a package deal if they did transfer.
DL Kevin Wynn: Wynn, the No. 232 overall recruit in the 2025 SC Next 300, has a ton of potential and continues to progress toward playing more snaps after redshirting as a freshman. The 6-foot-2, 317-pound sophomore has started the Seminoles' last five games and has 14 tackles and a sack. Defensive coordinator Tony White has said Wynn is putting in the work to get stronger and in better shape and has the ability to be one of the better D-linemen in the ACC if he keeps developing. The Georgia native has three more years of eligibility. -- Max Olson
Key recruits
S Ta'Shawn Poole, No. 47 in SC Next ESPN 300: More than a year of uncertainty around Norvell's future didn't help the Seminoles on the 2027 trail, but they secured a definitive recruiting win when Poole committed to Florida State in July. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound defender is ESPN's No. 5 safety in the 2027 cycle and an electric two-way standout from Georgia's Howard High School. For now, Poole remains the program's top-ranked 2027 pledge. But given his talent and the general scarcity of available high-level prospects this time of year, Poole is sure to attract flip interest, whether from summer finalists Georgia and Tennessee or any other program looking to make a late addition.
DT Sam LeJeune, No. 102 in SC Next ESPN 300: LeJeune, the 6-foot-3 edge rusher from Poplarville, Mississippi, made his enthusiasm for Norvell clear during his official visit with the Seminoles in June, and he remained locked in with the program across early-season losses to SMU and Alabama. Norvell's departure will test the strength of LeJeune's Florida State pledge. Like Poole, LeJeune is likely already hearing from other programs. Auburn, Cal, Mississippi State and Washington were among the leading finalists for ESPN's No. 7 defensive tackle when LeJeune committed to the Seminoles in June.
WR Sean Green, No. 287 in SC Next ESPN 300: The 5-foot-10 pass catcher from Kingsland, Georgia, visited the Seminoles six times before returning to campus and committing to the program in June. Green's connection with Norvell and his staff played a central role in swaying his pledge away from contenders such as Georgia and Miami. The complexion of that Florida State staff is about to change in a big way, and we'll see how that impacts the remainder of Green's recruitment. Given the time he's already spent on campus and Green's status as the lone top-300 skill talent in the program's incoming class, the Seminoles' next coach would do well to hang on to his commitment. -- Eli Lederman