Locklyn shares 'passion to serve' as FSU director of high school relations

Carlos Locklyn doesn't need to pull out his laptop to tell you the time and date of the email.

It was Nov. 17, 2016, around 11:55 in the morning.

The recipient was Josh Storms, then-strength coach for the University of Memphis.

The email was essentially a job application, even though Locklyn didn't even know if a position was open. He just wanted a chance.

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At the time, Locklyn was finishing his eighth season as an assistant high school football coach in Memphis, while also working nights in law enforcement.

The former star running back at Tennessee-Chattanooga, who had a brief stint with the New York Giants before sustaining a career-ending injury, told Storms a little about his life journey and explained that he was seeking an opportunity to break into college football coaching.

He wanted to give back to the game that had given him so much.

Storms invited Locklyn over to his office to talk. The conversation lasted only about 15 minutes, but Locklyn's passion quickly won the strength coach over.

"He told me he believed in me, and he wanted to help me in any way that he could," Locklyn remembered.

That first year was a grind. After working 8- to 10-hour shifts each night, Locklyn would find a bathroom to change in and then report to the University of Memphis as a weight room volunteer.

"I didn't sleep much," he said. "I tried to spend as much time as I could with my wife and my kids. ... It wasn't easy. The journey to get where I'm at now, it wasn't easy."

It has certainly been rewarding.

Shortly after Locklyn joined the Memphis staff, he knew he was in the right place. He loved working with Storms and the other staff members, but he felt particularly inspired by head coach Mike Norvell.

"Once I got a chance to be around Coach Norvell -- his passion that he has for the game, and his passion that he has for people -- it rubs off on you," Locklyn said. "I'm so grateful for Coach Storms. And I tell him all the time: 'Thank you! I knocked at the door. Thank you for inviting me in.'"

After that first year of volunteering in the weight room, Locklyn was promoted to offensive analyst in 2018. One year later, he was named director of high school relations, serving as the liaison between the Tigers' coaching staff and the high school coaches throughout the region.

In some ways, it was a perfect position for Locklyn. He had lived in Memphis for nearly 15 years, he had coached at four different high schools, and he had a passion for giving back to young people. Plus he understood the power of the "socials" that Norvell liked to host for high school coaches.

It was during one of those events that Locklyn first met Norvell and came away impressed with the head coach's commitment to service.

Suddenly, Locklyn was in charge of coordinating these socials, bridging the gap between the popular local college program and the area high schools.

"They can see how Coach Norvell and the other coaches carry out our day," Locklyn said of the socials. "How we run practices."

As much as he loved the position, the Montgomery, Ala., native briefly thought his future might be in question this past December.

When Norvell gathered his Memphis Tigers together one day after winning the American Athletic Conference championship, the head coach explained that he was leaving to be the next head coach at Florida State.

Norvell hadn't shared the news with his assistants before that moment, so Locklyn hurried over, congratulated his boss and thanked him for everything he did at Memphis. Locklyn then wished him well and walked away before Norvell could really say anything.

A few minutes later, Locklyn and Norvell crossed paths again.

"Come here!" Norvell said forcefully.

"What's up, Coach?" Locklyn responded.

"You know you're going with me, right?"

Locklyn didn't hesitate before saying yes.

Going to work for Florida State would obviously be an easy sell. But Locklyn said the appeal was much more than that.

"If Coach had got a job in Alaska and asked me to come, I would go with him," Locklyn said. "I always tell people, 'Whether I work for Coach or not, I'll always consider Mike Norvell family. My relationship with him -- my love for him -- is far greater than just being the head coach that I work for. So whether I work for him or not, I'm always going to have love for Mike Norvell."

That fondness is certainly helpful in his current position.

As Florida State's director of high school relations, Locklyn is in constant contact with coaches throughout the state of Florida and beyond, sharing Norvell's vision and creating opportunities for those high school programs to build bonds with the Seminoles.

While it seems like an obviously smart move for recruiting, Locklyn said that's only part of what Norvell hopes to get out of his work. It's also a way to give back to the sport and to help broaden the horizons of aspiring young coaches.

Locklyn points out that Memphis' current running backs coach, Anthony Jones, first met Norvell at one of his coaching socials when Jones was head coach at Memphis' Cordova High School.

"Some schools don't live on the word of service," Locklyn said, when asked why all colleges don't follow Norvell's approach. "When you see those words -- service, sacrifice, respect -- Coach Norvell, he really believes in those things."

Locklyn will have a bit of work to do when it comes to rebuilding FSU's relationships around the state.

Some high school coaches in South Florida complained loudly on social media when Norvell didn't retain a pair of staffers with Miami ties -- former tight ends coach Telly Lockette and former defensive analyst Stanford Samuels Jr. -- although the Seminoles appear to have smoothed things over in recent weeks.

In Locklyn's mind, there is absolutely no doubt Norvell and his staff will build strong relationships throughout Florida and surrounding states just as quickly as they did at Memphis.

FSU already has hosted several “meet and greet” events with high school coaches throughout the state, and they have socials planned during spring practice. Norvell also frequently open his door to high school coaches for meetings and practices.

"If you're friendly to people and you're genuine, people will see that," Locklyn said. "The passion that you really have for what you do -- if your passion is to serve and love people -- people will see that. I don't care where you're from. People will see that genuine passion.

"Not only our head coach but also our assistant coaches -- they truly have a passion for what they do, and they truly have a passion to serve."

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