Mike Norvell addresses decision to overhaul FSU staff, fire coordinators

With Florida State suffering their worst loss of the season to fall to 1-9, the Seminoles made three significant staff changes this weekend. Mike Norvell has since addressed all of those as the head coach at FSU.

Norvell spoke about the firings of OC Alex Atkins, DC Adam Fuller, and WRC Ron Dugans during his press conference on Monday. While difficult to relieve those three, he felt it was the right decision with where this season has gone and what they want to do throughout the rest of it in November.

“Yesterday, with the decision to, you know, change with the three coaches? You know, obviously it’s hard. I mean, those are great, great men and they’re great coaches,” said Norvell “I mean, obviously, you know, this season and, you know, where we are is not to the standard of anyone, you know, and not to the standard of them either. The decision to make the change was one that, you know, I deemed was best for the program.”

“You know, obviously there’s never a good time or a right time to do that but I felt like it was a time that was necessary for us. Felt it was in the best interest, you know, for our program and that’s why I decided to make that decision there yesterday,” Norvell continued. “Ultimately, it’s still about the, you know, focus of what we can do to go finish this season the best that we can. You know, the results have not been to what anybody expected but we are where we are. You know, I made the choice to make a change and, you know, it was what I felt was the right time to do it.”

In the end, Atkins, Fuller, and Dugans will be decisions worth $8.5 million in buyouts at most.

Still, while no time is ideal for such a decision, Florida State having their second bye week this week did play a part in it. It will give two weeks for their team to adjust to that and ready themselves for their final two games when they take the field next.

“This week, being a bye week, the next two games? I mean, we have to do that,” said Norvell. “You know, had our team meeting last night, did not have practice. Was able to, you know, inform the team and then we had meetings on both sides of the ball. You know, kind of a refocus for what these three weeks need to be. You know, this week is going to be a week about work as I mentioned after the game. We’ve got to go get better.”

That time will also allow Norvell to begin taking note of potential hires at offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, and wide receivers coach. It will have him sharing his focus between what’s currently the present state of their program as well as the future of it.

“For me, you know, there obviously is the task of, you know, what will be next when it comes to leaderships on both sides of the ball and, you know, what we’re doing there. So, I mean, obviously, I’ll have, you know, kind of a split role, especially this week. Kind of going through, having some preliminary plans, you know,” said Norvell. “Obviously, this has been a season full of evaluation as we’ve gone through it. I’m going to continue to do everything I can to pour into these players but also make sure to, you know, do the due diligence in identifying the right fit for Florida State as we’re moving forward.”

Florida State has been one of the most disappointing teams, if not the most disappointing, in the country this season with in-season coaching changes at both coordinators only further emphasizing that for a one-win record so far. Norvell has a job to end this year and prepare for the next one as he can, though, which, to him, meant this had to happen in Tallahassee.

“You know, obviously, we are going to bounce back. We’re going to bounce back quickly,” said Norvell. “You know, obviously, it’s my job, my task to make sure that whatever we need to do to help accelerate that process and to continue to pour into these players for the next, you know, three weeks.”