Andrea AdelsonMar 25, 2025, 07:50 AM ET
Shut
- ACC reporter.
- Joined ESPN.com in 2010.
- Graduate of the College of Florida.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — When Mike Norvell evaluated what came about ultimate season at Florida State, he took a protracted, arduous take a look at himself.
The similar processes that labored so smartly in construction the Seminoles into an ACC champion had now failed him. His opinions from the switch portal didn’t translate into instant good fortune. He may just now not have the opportunity to hook up with a workforce nonetheless smarting from a School Soccer Playoff snub the former season, one who lacked chemistry, synergy and management.
He admitted his frame language all the way through the season “sucked.” He allowed his feelings to triumph over his trust in staying certain regardless of the cases. Possibly toughest to simply accept of all, for the primary time in his profession, his groups lacked a defining edge.
All of that led to a workforce that went from 13-1 in 2023 to 2-10 in 2024, making Florida State the primary Energy 4 workforce within the AP ballot generation (since 1936) to have an 11-win dropoff. However Norvell now has a 2nd probability to rebuild his workforce, a possibility now not presented to many different coaches in identical eventualities. Southern Pass over, as an example, fired trainer Ellis Johnson in 2012 after an 0-12 season adopted a 12-2 12 months underneath Larry Fedora.
Editor’s Alternatives
2 Comparable
Norvell has had the backing of the ones throughout the Florida State management and board of trustees from the instant he arrived in 2020. Of their view, Norvell has introduced a gradual hand to a program that was once reeling earlier than his arrival.
Whilst the ones out of doors this system have puzzled his task safety for many of his six-year tenure, the ones throughout the program have by no means wavered from their dedication to him.
Even now. So Norvell started working, making sweeping adjustments over the last 4 months to make Florida State seem like an ACC champion once more — revamping his personal way to training, his body of workers and his use of the switch portal.
“I do know what it looks as if to win the ACC,” Norvell mentioned throughout a sit-down interview in his place of job. “I do know what it’ll take to ensure we succeed in that right here within the very close to long term. I had to take a look at, ‘Am I doing the most productive task of connecting with our soccer workforce to uphold that elite same old and expectation that we have got?’ Clearly, it comes right down to numerous adjustments that I made.”
The most important exchange began with a telephone name.
Malzahn don’t have long gone again to a coordinator’s position for simply any one. He trusts Norvell’s imaginative and prescient for the longer term. Ricky Bowden/Icon Sportswire
FLORIDA STATE LAST received a countrywide championship in 2013, beating Auburn 34-31 on a landing cross from Jameis Winston to Kelvin Benjamin with 13 seconds left within the sport. The trainer at the reverse sideline, simply seconds clear of hoisting the trophy himself? Gus Malzahn.
He issues out that amusing reality sitting in the back of his table, nonetheless sparse after only a few months at the task. Coaches are living nomadic lives, however what are the percentages Malzahn would someday be sitting throughout the offensive coordinator’s place of job at Florida State after spending the former 13 years as a head trainer?
In fact, he would now not be, if now not for Norvell.
Closing November, Norvell introduced he was once firing offensive coordinator Alex Atkins, defensive coordinator Adam Fuller and receivers trainer Ron Dugans. The next week, Norvell known as Malzahn — one in all his training mentors — to invite for his ideas about any other candidate to fill the offensive coordinator task. The 2 shaped an instantaneous connection in 2007 at Tulsa, when Norvell was once a graduate assistant and Malzahn the offensive coordinator, and had grown shut through the years. As the 2 spoke, Norvell requested a maximum surprising query:
“Until you need to do it?”
Malzahn was once in his fourth season at UCF, and the task had began to take a toll. UCF sat at 4-6 and had to win out simply to make a bowl sport. The fan base had began to develop stressed, and hypothesis swirled in Orlando about his task safety after two instantly shedding seasons. He had grown stressed, too. So he gave an surprising reaction to the surprising query.
“How would that paintings?” Malzahn requested Norvell.
Malzahn, a former highschool trainer, discovered the speculation of going again to his roots calling performs and dealing extra carefully with gamers extra interesting the extra he thought of it. Running for Norvell was once an enormous plus, and so was once going to a college the place it was once imaginable to win a countrywide championship.
Plus, he and his spouse, Kristi, can be nearer to their grandchildren in Alabama — an enormous promoting level bearing in mind what his circle of relatives had just lately been thru. Kristi just about died 3 years in the past following an an infection that left her hospitalized for weeks.
After weeks of dialog, Malzahn made up our minds to move for it. He stepped down as UCF trainer in December to lend a hand Norvell get Florida State headed in the proper route.
“I don’t have carried out this for simply any one,” Malzahn says of Norvell, whom he describes as a “getter-doner.”
“He is a employee, he is pushed, he is were given a present for this. He is truly good, he is truly excellent with other people. There may be ‘getter-doners’ on this industry, and there is simply coaches. There may be only a few ‘getter-doners.’ In my enjoy in twenty years of faculty training, he is a ‘getter-doner.'”
For a defensive coordinator, Norvell went the wrong way — with a trainer he had by no means up to now labored with however made an affect on him however. Tony White had hung out as Syracuse defensive coordinator from 2000-22, scheming in opposition to Norvell, earlier than transferring directly to Nebraska the previous two seasons.
All informed, his defenses have ranked within the Best 25 every of the previous 4 seasons and over that very same span, have held combatants to fewer than 100 yards dashing in 25 video games. What truly stood out to Norvell was once now not simplest the aggressiveness with which White’s defenses performed, however their relentless in by no means taking any performs off. That is what he sought after for Florida State.
“I feel solving the chemistry section No. 1, after which giving them self assurance to move available in the market and do it,” White mentioned. “I do know we are going to make errors right here and there, however we will triumph over that with aggression and physicality and energy. That piece proper there, whether or not they have been looking to play too highest, no matter it is going to had been, simply with the ability to flip them unfastened and get them to some extent the place, it is like, ‘Howdy, that is Florida State.'”
Norvell is getting a possibility to turn out himself after a disastrous season. That is uncommon within the best ranges of faculty soccer. Chris Leduc/Icon Sportswire
SINCE HIS ARRIVAL at Florida State, Norvell has relied closely at the portal to construct his roster. Of the ten Seminoles drafted in 2024, as an example, 9 got here to Florida State as transfers.
Florida State had a portal elegance ranked within the best 10 headed into 2024. However the ones ratings have been based totally in large part at the manner many gamers have been rated out of highschool. Florida State had earlier recruiting relationships with big-name gamers comparable to LSU receiver Jalen Brown, Alabama receiver Malik Benson and Georgia defensive finish Marvin Jones Jr. However they, and lots of others signed in 2024, didn’t have a lot in the best way of on-field manufacturing after serving as backups.
Norvell opted for a distinct way to the gamers signed for 2025.
“In all fact, I most certainly tied extra choices ultimate 12 months looking to fill guys that we misplaced with what I assumed was once nice possible, however possibly hadn’t had that proper form of manufacturing,” Norvell mentioned. “It didn’t play smartly for us in the ones moments of reality, the place we had to have a play.
“I sought after manufacturing this 12 months,” Norvell mentioned. “I wasn’t going to depend on possible.”
Take the offensive line, a key goal for growth. Malzahn made certain to carry alongside offensive line trainer Herb Hand from UCF. The 2 have labored in combination at 4 other faculties and know precisely what they sought after: Physicality and enjoy.
The highest 4 linemen, Luke Petitbon, Micah Pettus, Gunnar Hansen and Adrian Medley (who performed for Hand and Malzahn at UCF), signed and feature blended for 105 profession begins. At receiver, examine the adaptation. Closing 12 months, Florida State signed two receivers with a blended six begins in Jalen Brown and Malik Benson. This 12 months, Squirrel White and Duce Robinson performed in a blended 61 video games.
At quarterback, Florida State went into the portal once more hoping for higher effects. The Seminoles signed Boston School switch quarterback Thomas Castellanos, who performed for Malzahn at UCF as a freshman in 2022.
Castellanos began in 2023 and 2024 and had two of the most productive video games of his profession enjoying in opposition to the Seminoles — with 579 general yards, 5 touchdowns and 1 interception — performances Norvell issues to when requested about what appealed to him in regards to the quarterback.
Malzahn has had his biggest good fortune when he has had a dual-threat quarterback like Castellanos — and the similar may also be mentioned for Norvell and Florida State when Jordan Travis was once the starter.
Already, Norvell and Malzahn mentioned they’ve noticed Castellanos tackle a management position in offseason exercises. You’ll be able to really feel his character, in need of to lend a hand give a boost to, inspire, problem teammates,” Norvell mentioned. “That is one thing we are seeing big-picture throughout this workforce.”
Growing that management is massive at the record of priorities this offseason. For Norvell, so is preserving his gamers extra responsible — in particular relating to enjoying with the brink that he felt was once lacking from ultimate season.
When he talks about what it manner to play with an edge, Norvell grows animated.
“You communicate in regards to the alphas, the leaders, the blokes who’re going to take hang and convey that desperation to achieve success, that edge,” Norvell mentioned. “It is my task to ensure that I am preserving everyone responsible to that normal.”
Norvell mentioned he made it transparent to his returning gamers after they got here again in January and started their offseason exercises: “You are going to be part of this, pouring the entirety you’ve got into it, or you might be now not.”
Up to now, he says he has noticed effects — more youthful gamers and transfers from ultimate season taking larger management roles, meshing with the 31 learners or transfers who simply arrived and can sign up for them from spring follow. However Norvell is aware of all of the communicate between now and the season opener in opposition to Alabama on Aug. 30 will quantity to not anything if there aren’t any classes discovered from what came about a 12 months in the past.
“I am not losing ultimate 12 months,” Norvell mentioned. “Guys that went thru this ultimate 12 months, for them to pay attention to it and to do so is what’s severely vital. It is one of the crucial the reason why I’m fascinated with what is forward.”
