Mike Norvell’s search for an offensive coordinator was bound to conclude with a familiar, trusted name. And perhaps there was no stronger connection in the end than a man who helped give Norvell his first job in Division I football.
Florida State hired Gus Malzahn on Saturday as its offensive coordinator, the Osceola can confirm after the news was first reported by ESPN.com's Pete Thamel. Malzahn resigned from his job as UCF's head coach earlier Saturday before the news broke.
The move was announced just hours before kickoff against Florida, landing an experienced head coach at Arkansas State (2012), Auburn (2013-20) and UCF (2021-14) as well as someone with recruiting roots in the Sunshine State. Malzahn stepped down from his job as UCF's head coach following a 4-8 season with the Knights, which wrapped up with a loss to Utah on Friday night.
"I know we've identified our offensive coordinator," Norvell said after the game. "I'm very excited about who that will be. I know there are still some things that we need to finalize there in the hiring process before I comment. I'm excited about who we've identified."
Thamel also reported that Malzahn will be FSU's primary play-caller.
Malzahn, 59, is 105-62 as a head coach and is known as a creative play-caller for a spread offense who worked his way up the ladder as a high school coach in Arkansas from 1991-2005.
Malzahn literally wrote the book on the hurry up, no huddle offense now a staple in college football and the NFL. Here’s a Malzahn video of his offensive philosophy.
While Houston Nutt gave him his first college job in 2006 at Arkansas, winning an SEC West title and earning Rivals Offensive Coordinator of the Year, he jumped to Tulsa to join his friend and head coach Todd Graham in Jan. 2007. Not long after, Norvell was hired as a graduate assistant at Tulsa (he was a GA for two seasons and an on-field coach at Tulsa from 2009-10.
As assistant head coach and co-offensive coordinator at Tulsa in 2007 and 2008, Malzahn’s offenses were among the nation’s finest, ranking first nationally. The 2008 offense averaged 569.9 yards per game and was second nationally in scoring 47.2 points per game.
While Norvell and Malzahn only worked together that one season, they remained close through the years. Malzahn made a name for himself as offensive coordinator at Auburn, recruiting and developing Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Cam Newton and helping the Tigers win the 2011 national title. Malzahn received the Broyles Award as the top assistant coach in 2010.
He jumped to Arkansas State for a year in 2012, leading the Red Wolves to a Sunbelt Championship and 10-3 season before Auburn hired him as head coach in December 2012. His first season was remarkable as Auburn stunned Alabama in the Iron Bowl with a “kick six” return from the end zone that covered the length of the field for a victory and matchup with FSU in the BCS title game. Auburn led FSU 21-3 at the Rose Bowl before the Seminoles and Tigers went toe to toe for an epic finish, punctuated by Jameis Winston’s touchdown pass to Kelvin Benjamin.
Malzahn received eight coach of the year awards in 2013 including the Paul Bear Bryant and Bobby Bowden Awards.
In addition to Newton’s Heisman, running back Tre' Mason and was named Heisman runner-up.
Running the football is a priority to Malzahn. According to his UCF profile, in nine of his 18 seasons as a head coach or coordinator prior to 2024 his teams ranked in the Top 20 in total offense and/or rushing offense, including seven in the Top 10. His 2022 and 2023 teams finished ninth and fifth in rushing offense including eighth overall in 2023.
Sixteen of Malzahn’s running backs have rushed for 1,000 or more yards. During his eight years at Auburn, his teams averaged 228 yards per game, tops in the SEC. The Tigers averaged 328.3 yards coming into that 2013 National Championship game in Pasadena.
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