After a few underwhelming seasons in a row, the Florida State Seminoles have officially made the decision to part with head coach Mike Norvell.
Norvell had been on the hot seat for some time with Florida State, and a loss against Clemson last week seems to seal the deal. The veteran head coach went 41-39 with the Seminoles over six-plus seasons, including the team going 3-5 this year.
Florida State only had two winning seasons with Norvell leading the charge, including the 13-1 record in 2023. But the Seminoles couldn’t manage to duplicate any of the success from 2023, only winning 10 games total since then.
As the school looks to find the replacement for Norvell, they should be focusing on finding the right person for the job, not just making the big splash hire. Now, if the right person comes with the splash hire, then so be it.
Florida State Linked to Brian Kelly
College football analyst Adam Kramer put together a list of candidates that Florida State should consider to replace Norvell. Among them was former LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly, who is currently looking for a new job.
“Given how things ended at LSU, it’s hard to know how Florida State would feel about the possibility. It’s even harder to know how Florida State fans would take this one also. Still, Kelly has won big, coached at major programs and won a lot of football games. He also seems eager to get back on the sideline, which makes this an interesting connection,” Kramer wrote.
With LSU, Kelly went 34-14, winning 19 games in SEC play. While the overall record seems decent, this won’t get the job done with a program like the Tigers.
But for Florida State, this would be very good, especially to get the program back on track after multiple down seasons. Kelly could be a strong pickup for the Seminoles, but there are risks as with any signing.
Should Florida State Consider Brian Kelly?
At first glance, most people would say that Florida State shouldn’t consider Kelly, especially after how his tenure at LSU went. But Kelly is a good coach, and he knows how to win football games.
Kelly just wasn’t a fit for LSU and the SEC, but he could do well at a place like Florida State. The ACC is very different than the SEC, and Kelly likely established some relationships down in the South during his time in Baton Rouge.
The veteran coach saw a lot of success with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish as well before going to LSU. Kelly was 92-39 with the Irish during his tenure, but the knock on him was that he couldn’t win the big game.
However, the Seminoles could provide Kelly with strong resources, and his coaching pedigree could do well in Tallahassee. Florida State should take its time trying to find the replacement for Novell, but Kelly should be in the mix.
The veteran coach remains without a job right now, but he could be a top name in the upcoming cycle.
Brian Kelly Predicted to Replace Mike Norvell at Florida State