When Florida State landed Gus Malzahn as its new offensive coordinator, the initial reaction across the college football world was a mix of surprise and curiosity. After all, this is a guy who’s been a head coach at Auburn, led a team to a national title game, and most recently ran the show at UCF. So why is he stepping into a coordinator role under Mike Norvell?
Well, according to one anonymous ACC coach, it might not be just about football.
“Way More About Culture”
Speaking to Athlon Sports as part of their annual anonymous coach quotes series, one ACC coach didn’t hold back when sharing thoughts on Florida State’s offseason move.
“Gus [Malzahn] is going to take it back to basics and do a lot of run-game at first,” the coach said. “His hire was way more about culture and having the veteran in the room than it was about a particular kind of scheme.”
Let’s pause there. That’s not your typical compliment. Saying it was “more about culture” than scheme may sound harmless, but in the world of college football, that kind of remark says something. Essentially, this coach is implying that Florida State’s culture under Norvell wasn’t where it needed to be—and that bringing in someone like Malzahn wasn’t just a schematic decision. It was a culture correction.
That’s not exactly a glowing endorsement of how things have been handled in Tallahassee lately.
To be fair, 2024 was a strange year for Florida State. After an undefeated regular season and ACC title in 2023, the Seminoles regressed in a big way. That backslide was worse than anyone — even the biggest Florida State hater — could've imagined.
The anonymous coach’s comments suggest that Norvell realized he needed more than just playbook help—he needed a stabilizer, someone with experience and credibility to help reset the tone behind the scenes. And Malzahn, who’s navigated some of the toughest jobs in college football, fits that bill.
From the outside, Norvell has been saying all the right things about the hire. He called Malzahn “one of the most innovative minds in college football” and expressed excitement about what his offenses have accomplished in the past. But public praise aside, the coach's decision to add a strong personality like Malzahn to the staff could indicate a level of self-awareness—and maybe even a little pressure from above.
And of course, the ACC coach’s framing opens the door to bigger questions: Has Florida State’s locker room been fractured? Did the Seminoles’ tough ending in 2024 reveal deeper issues behind the curtain?