Dillingham: FSU football players 'starting to believe in the vision'

Kenny Dillingham didn't pull any punches when speaking to a group of prospective boosters and Florida State football season ticket holders Wednesday night inside Doak Campbell Stadium.

Dillingham, who is in his second season as the Seminoles' offensive coordinator, started off by acknowledging that Mike Norvell's first season was extremely difficult. He said the team experienced a lot of "ups and downs" during the 2020 campaign.

"And a few more downs, and a few more downs," he said, eliciting laughter.

But Dillingham then explained that he and his fellow coaches saw something change in their players late last fall.

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After numerous players who had been recruited by either former head coach Willie Taggart or his predecessor, Jimbo Fisher, left the program or "opted out," the Seminoles were left with a smaller nucleus for the final weeks of that 3-6 campaign. And as that group stuck together through adversity -- including the cancellation or postponement of several games due to COVID-19 protocols -- Dillingham said it was as if the remaining players were galvanized by the experience.

And he believes that was evident during the Seminoles' 56-35 victory against Duke in the final game of the year.

"We got down to the core of people who truly started to believe in what we were doing," Dillingham said. "And those young men -- practice after practice after practice, game cancellation after game cancellation -- they kept practicing.

"And we go out vs. Duke, and we put on a dominant performance. And from that moment on, you could feel the buy-in from our guys in the discipline and the culture that we're trying to create."

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Since that time, Dillingham said, there has been a complete transformation inside the program. The players are more eager to push themselves and each other, and the coaches aren't having to constantly remind them of what's required to have success.

He said that continued to be evident during the winter strength and conditioning program and spring practice, and they have every indication it will continue throughout the summer.

"We have a group of young men who are starting to believe in the vision," Dillingham said, adding that there is still plenty of room for improvement in all areas. "We're not there yet, but we're climbing to it."

Because Wednesday's event was geared to either prospective donors and season ticket holders or previous supporters who have let their contributions lapse, the concept of packing Doak Campbell Stadium was a constant refrain.

That message was hammered home by Dillingham and every other speaker, including athletics director David Coburn, Seminole Boosters CEO Michael Alford and even quarterback McKenzie Milton.

After a 2020 season in which FSU and other schools only allowed partial attendance due to the coronavirus pandemic, Dillingham said he and the Seminoles' other second-year coaches can't wait to experience what Doak Campbell looks and feels like on Sunday, Sept. 5, when Notre Dame rolls into town.

"There's not a better environment in college football," said Dillingham, who previously was offensive coordinator at Auburn and competed in several Southeastern Conference venues.

Dillingham said the Seminoles are so excited about that weekend that instead of spreading out recruits' official visits throughout the fall, they're making a major push to have many of them in that opening weekend.

"We're telling every prospect that we have -- that's not making a decision early -- to official visit for Notre Dame," Dillingham said. "Why? Because there should be no other stadium in America that has a better game-day feel than right here."

FSU officials often invite student-athletes to appear at events like Wednesday's so that donors can hear directly from the young people who benefit from their contributions. And Wednesday's guest was grad transfer quarterback McKenzie Milton.

The former UCF star only spoke for a few minutes, but he did offer very high praise for head coach Mike Norvell and company.

The sixth-year senior, who arrived at FSU in January, said he has been extremely impressed with every aspect of the organization -- from how practices are run to the efficiencies of the operation.

"I'll tell you guys right now: Coach Norvell and his staff, they're the right guys for the job," Milton said. "Just know that we're in the right hands with our coaches, and they're gonna get this thing going. And these players, we're busting our butts day in and day out to get it right. To put on a show for you guys."

*ALSO SEE -- Schoffel: Norvell's youth clinics provide insight into his long-term plans

Alford, who is still in his first year as CEO of the boosters organization, offered updates on several projects and also answered numerous questions from the attendees.

He said the Seminoles have pushed past the 75 percent mark in their "One Tribe Campaign," which is aiming to increase the number of donors to the boosters' annual fund to 13,000. It had fallen to about 9,000 in recent years.

Alford also said that pledges for the planned football operations facility have gone above $50 million.

"I can't tell you how much we appreciate the support that we've gotten over the last month," he said.

Alford also spoke about proposed renovations to Doak Campbell Stadium and said that the Seminoles are planning to have "100 percent capacity" for attendance at home games this fall, barring any changes from CDC guidelines.

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