Norvell expects FSU to restore aggressive identity with new coordinators

The Florida State head coach hired six new assistant coaches, closed out an impressive finish to the Seminoles' 2025 high-school recruiting class and landed 16 transfers to fill out the roster and add depth and experience over the course of a hectic month after the Seminoles stunningly sputtered to a 2-10 record during the 2024 season.

"It was a dead sprint this year," Norvell said Tuesday night about his December during a Vision of Excellence livestream hosted by FSU and Seminole Boosters. "With new staff coming in, trying to implement a few adjustments to things within our roster, making sure that we were able to find the right guys to join our program from the high-school ranks and with the transfer portal opening up, trying to find some complementary players to be able to join the program and be able to come in and elevate each of those positions."

In an hour-long talk with FSU radio play-by-play voice Jeff Culhane, the FSU head coach talked about a variety of topics.

The talk began with quite a bit of excitement from Norvell about his two new coordinators. It was the first time Norvell had talked publicly about his hires of new offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn and defensive coordinator Tony White, both of whom were hired within days of the 2024 season coming to an end.

"Really excited about the coaching staff and the hires that we've been able to bring in," Norvell said. "When it comes to identity, it's really being able to get back to that aggressive style of play on both sides of the ball. Offense, defense, special teams, we want to be a team that is the enforcer."

For Norvell and Malzahn, it's a reunion nearly 20 years in the making. Malzahn, a first-year offensive coordinator at Tulsa in 2007, hired Norvell as a graduate assistant that season. By his second season in 2008, Norvell had been elevated to wide receivers coach.

In each of their seasons together, Tulsa led the nation in yards per game. Since leaving Tulsa, Malzahn won a national title at Auburn as offensive coordinator in 2010 and lost another national title game as Auburn's head coach in 2013.

He posted a 105-62 head-coaching record over 12 seasons at Auburn (2013-20) and UCF (2021-24) and has established himself as one of the most preeminent offensive minds in college football this century.

"We're excited about having coach Gus Malzahn come and lead our offense. One of the most innovative minds in all of college football..." Norvell said. "His excitement, the passion and energy that he brings to our attacking style of offense that we're going to run is something that's going to be a lot of fun for our players and for our fans to see. He's got an incredible track record of some of the top offenses in college football history. You can really feel the energy that he's bringing into the program."

FSU's offense struggled mightily in 2024, finishing 132nd out of 134 FBS teams in yards per game (270.3) and yards per carry (2.85). The drop-off from the previous few years was serious enough that Norvell elected to give up offensive playcalling for the first time in his time as a head coach and bring in Malzahn. Even on a 4-8 UCF team this past season -- Malzahn's first losing regular season as a head coach -- the Knights ranked fifth nationally in rushing yards per game (248.1).

"He loves to find creative ways to put our guys in position to go win those 1-on-1 opportunities. For us, it's going to start on the ground. We've got to be able to establish the running game," Norvell said. "It's something he's done a great job at. In his 19 years in college football, I think he's had 16 1,000-yard (running) backs. That is something we are going to get established and something that we're really excited about...It's something we've got to get back to and that's going to open up everything else vertically down the field and what we're going to be able to do in the passing game."

In his introductory FSU press conference, Malzahn alluded to the state of college football and how head coaches are involved in so much more than coaching nowadays as a reason why he wanted to take a step back to being an offensive coordinator.

Since arriving on campus about six weeks ago, Malzahn's excitement to be back in a role more focused on coaching has been palpable, according to Norvell.

"He's bringing just an incredible amount of excitement getting back to what he loves to do..." Norvell said. "He's had great success in that head coach position, but to see his excitement to lead an offense and to be able to get back to doing what he loves has really been special for me. He's fired up and I know our guys are excited to follow his lead."

On the other side of the ball, Norvell didn't have any similar experience working directly alongside FSU's new defensive coordinator before hiring him. However, White was on the coaching staff at Arizona State not long after Norvell left and the FSU head coach heard quite a few stories about what makes White such a good defensive coach.

"I got to hear from somebody that was working side-by-side with him throughout the years about the quality of the person, the dynamic teacher, another innovative mind in how to attack and how to implement his schemes in a variety of different places," Norvell said of White.

In both of his seasons as Nebraska's defensive coordinator in 2023 and 2024, White's defense finished in the top 20 nationally in yards and points per game allowed.

Norvell saw first-hand how hard it is to prepare for White's 3-3-5 defense, going against it twice in 2021 and 2022 when he was Syracuse's defensive coordinator.

"Tony is one of the great defensive coordinators in the country..." Norvell said. "When we had to go against him at Syracuse, that was one of the more challenging defenses I've ever had to prepare for. But also, then you saw when he went to Nebraska, the ability to have not only the 3-3 but being able to utilize guys on that defensive front where it was a four-down front at a high capacity. Just playing to the personnel while still being able to always have that aggressive mindset, physical hard-nose defense that was all predicated on the big play. Creating takeaways, TFLs, quarterback sacks. He's really someone who has prided himself on stopping the run. Been one of the best run defenses in the country year after year and has traditionally lived as a top-20 defense under his direction as a defensive coordinator."

Considering FSU's defense ranked 95th nationally in 2024 in yards per carry allowed (4.65) and 107th in rushing yards per game allowed (184.7), that last part may be a big part of why Norvell elected to bring White to Tallahassee.

"(He is) a guy that understands how to utilize personnel, very multiple, is going to attack in every way possible. Not just in the pressure packages but the variations in coverages, the mentality. Really being able to bring that physical, tough edge to our defense that we've been accustomed to is something we're really excited about."

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