Over the last two years, Mike Norvell has gone from going 13-0 in the regular season and winning the ACC Title to falling flat on their face and going 2-10 last year. It was a shocking collapse from a coach and a program that seemed to be trending in the right direction. After a disaster season, questions quickly begin to arise over whether or not Mike Norvell has what it takes so get this program back on track.
When looking at Mike Norvell's history there are several reasons to believe in a turnaround and just as many that could cause concerns.
Pro- Norvell has a proven track record
For the Florida State fanbase, the one saving grace is that Norvell has a long track record of success. The success started at Memphis, where he went 38-15 in 4 seasons there as he was able to upgrade the team and improve the program. Then he went to Florida State and helped turn around the program to 10 wins in 2022 and 13 wins in 2023. Norvell has proven that he can have a ton of success as a Head Coach.
Con - Norvell flopped last year
Florida State was a terrible team last year. They were outscored by an average margin of 28-15. They went 1-7 in the ACC, a conference not known for being a dominant conference. They struggled mightily at the quarterback position, where transfer DJ Uiagalelei was a disaster. Norvell cleaned house and fired his offensive and defensive coordinators from last year. On the offensive side of the ball, he hired Gus Malzahn, the former UCF and Auburn head coach, as offensive coordinator. The hope is Malzahn can fix an offense that struggled badly last year with Thomas Castellanos as the team's new quarterback.
Mike Norvell expects Florida State QB Thomas Castellanos to be one of the 'best quarterbacks in the country'🍢
— On3 (@On3sports) May 15, 2025
“He’s got great skill with his arm, with his legs. But the thing I’ve been so impressed with is just his leadership.”
(via @Warchant) https://t.co/OKDD2xlNPg pic.twitter.com/PdW3d6QUTo
Pro - Florida State signed several key transfers
Norvell went back into the transfer portal and signed 23 players in the latest cycle. They landed several good players that should help them be successful this season. A few of the top players Norvell signed were wide receivers Squirrel White from Tennessee and Duce Robinson from USC. James Williams is an explosive edge defender from Nebraska who should help replace the losses in the transfer portal. The biggest addition is quarterback Tommy Castellanos from Boston College who should on paper, make the team better this year.
Top recruits continue to rave about Florida State’s big recruiting weekend, @SWiltfong_ reports🍢
— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) June 9, 2025
“I can confidently say they’ve put themselves in a great position moving forward.”
Intel: https://t.co/RQuNM3hOmS pic.twitter.com/ussVvFtuvH
Con - Norvell has never built a sustainable program
If there is a concern with Mike Norvell's ability to bounce back it is with the fact that he has never built a sustainable program at Florida State. His last 3 recruiting classes have been ranked 19th, 12th, and 20th which is far below the Florida State expectation and not at a high enough level to win National Titles. Florida State under Mike Norvell has been a good program, but not they need to start recruiting at a Championship level.
Final Thoughts
This is a big year for Norvell and Florida State, he needs to win 8 to 9 games this season to gain momentum back as a program. This year needs to be a positive step for Florida State this year otherwise, the calls for change will continue to get louder.