Amidst the nightmare that has been the 2024 college football season in Tallahassee, Mike Norvell has pulled the trigger on an early start to the 2025 season.
Following Saturday's 52-3 blowout loss in South Bend to Notre Dame, Mike Norvell and Florida State announced that they have parted ways with offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Alex Atkins, defensive coordinator Adam Fuller, and wide receivers coach Ron Dugans.
Despite all three individuals being part of last year's 13-0 regular season and ACC championship run, the program's foundation is rotten, and Norvell and company had to make this move.
It is unknown at this time if any more staff members are to be let go; I would imagine linebackers coach Randy Shannon is on his way out the door, although he is being retained for the final two games and will serve as the team's defensive coordinator.
Brennan Sonnone of Noles247 reviewed several names for both coordinator positions, let's review some of those names to know in the upcoming coaching carousel that Mike Norvell and the Florida State administration could target.
Offensive Coordinator:
Dan Mullen, former Florida HC
Yes, you read that right; Dan Mullen in Tallahassee is a real possibility. Say what you want about his personality or recruiting habits; Mullen is a proven commodity as an offensive architect.
He was instrumental in the evolution of Dak Prescott at Mississippi State and Kyle Trask at Florida, as quarterback development and evaluation is his calling card.
It would be a polarizing hire, but Mullen offers a high-end ceiling with a proven track record. If he aims to climb back into the coaching world, I believe the interest from Mullen's angle could be genuine.
Brennan Marion, UNLV OC
Coach Marion played under Mike Norvell at Tulsa before becoming a quality control assistant under Norvell in 2015 at Arizona State. Marion possesses a wide receivers coach background, having been instrumental in the development of Biletnikoff winner Jordan Addison and NFL first-round pick Xavier Worthy.
Marion has burst onto the scene with the job he's done at UNLV since joining the staff at the beginning of 2023. His "Go-Go" offense is a spread triple-option scheme. UNLV was a top 50 offense in 2023 and is up into the top 20s this season.
An offensive coordinator with a sense for developing receivers is at a premium in Tallahassee, as the position group is one of the worst-graded units in the entire country - during Ron Dugan's time as the wide receivers coach in Tallahassee - not a single wide receiver from Florida State that he recruited was selected in the NFL Draft - remember that Keon Coleman and Jonny Wilson were transfer portal acquisitions.
Buster Faulkner, Georgia Tech OC
Faulker is a Georgia native with coaching experience across the Southeast. He's had stints at Valdosta State, Central Arkansas, Murray State, MTSU, Arkansas State, and Southern Miss before joining the Georgia Tech staff in 2023.
With the Yellow Jackets, Faulker has been the architect of a diverse and powerful rushing attack that ranks within the top 40; his unit ranked in the top 10 in yards per carry last season en route to leading the ACC in rushing offense.
Defensive Coordinator:
Chris Hampton, Oregon CO-DC/DB Coach
A big part of this concerns the relationship between Dan Lanning and Mike Norvell. Chris Hampton joined Lanning's staff in Eugene this offseason after a stint at Tulane from 2022 to 2023 as the Green Wave's defensive coordinator. His unit ranked in the top 40 in scoring defense in that time frame.
Hampton's most significant upside would be the recruiting skills he would bring to Tallahassee. For the past two cycles, he's been a critical factor in Oregon's recruiting surge and a driver of marquee recruiting battles for blue-chip defensive backs.
Greg Gasparato, Tulane DC
Gaspartao is also tied to Chris Hampton. In his last two stops at Troy in 2023 and Tulane this year, he's done an excellent job. Believe it or not, Troy was a top-25 defense in 2023 and ranked among the upper tier of college football in sacks and takeaways. He brings P4 coaching experience, having spent time at Louisville.
Derek Nicholson, Miami Co-DC/LB Coach
How about an alumni? Nicholson was a two-year starter at linebacker for the Florida State Seminoles, with the program from 2006 to 2009.
Nicholson, who is just 37 years old and possesses a quality resume, would bring a sense of exciting youth to the program. He was the co-DC at Southern Miss and had numerous high-level linebackers at Louisville.
This season in Coral Gables, he's helped lead Wesley Bissainthe to a career year for the Canes. Nicholson has yet to be a full-time defensive coordinator. Still, a strong recruiter with ties to the region could be an angle for the Florida State administration to pursue.
A sign of life has returned to the program; it will be enthralling to observe what avenues Mike Norvell takes with his Seminoles going into 2025.