Mike Norvell on FSU's struggles: 'We will have this program back where it's supposed to be'

When head coach Mike Norvell first got to Florida State, he needed to take the time to rebuild the program. That culminated with an unbeaten regular season in 2023.

Now, the Seminoles have stumbled and are sitting at just 1-8 on the season and 1-7 in ACC play. It’s been a major disappointment and now Norvell knows that it will fall on him and the coaches to bring the program back to where he feels it’s supposed to be.

“I absolutely believe in it,” Mike Norvell said. “I’ve lived it. I’ve been through it. I’ve seen the highs and lows in the game of football, and hell, in the game of life, just to be honest with you. I know and believe in what can be done, how it can be done. I don’t need a motivational speech or even an encouraging word. I don’t care. It doesn’t matter to me. I know what it needs to look like. I know how you need to work. I know how you need to apply the lessons that are learned, and I damn sure know that I can do that, and I know that I can put together a team and a group that absolutely can respond to that, and we have not done a good enough job of that, and I do believe in those players in there.”

Coming into the 2024 season, expectations were extremely high for Florida State. The Seminoles were ranked 10th in the preseason AP Poll. With the College Football Playoff expanding to 12 teams, there were also dreams of getting in the Playoff this season. However, it’s been a struggle from the start for FSU.

“I want extremely, extremely bad for them to be able to put on display what I know they’re capable of,” Norvell said. “I’ve not done a good enough job of that, we’ve not done a good enough job, and in all reality, they haven’t done a good enough job. We’re all accountable to this. But this all comes back to me because I have the privilege of being the leader of this program.”

The team Mike Norvell inherited at Florida State was coming off a 6-7 season where they went to a bowl game. This year’s team is already incapable of becoming bowl-eligible. There aren’t enough remaining games to get to that point even if the Seminoles won out.

“But no, I absolutely — am I pissed off about it? Yes. Can I tell you that I understand all things that I see on the field? Not all of it. There’s some things that I just — for whatever reason, it shows up in the moment. Even some of the responses that I get of the why, those things, there’s some challenges that have shown up in that regard,” Norvell said.

“But when it comes to my confidence, I absolutely believe. I’ve been knocked down before. I’ve been a part of losing streaks. I’ve been a part of challenging times, injuries, things that you’ve faced. I know how to rise up out of that, and I fully believe that we’re going to, and I fully believe there’s going to be a lot of guys in that locker room that are going to be leading the charge when it comes to that. But we’ve got to be better now in this moment. You can sit there and talk about what’s ahead and what’s in front of us. I really just care about today, and today we failed. That did not show up. Lord willing, I get to wake up tomorrow and I’m going to promise you I’m going to put everything I have into getting it fixed and better for tomorrow.”

In their most recent game, Florida State fell 35-11 to North Carolina at home. With that, the Seminoles lost a fifth straight game this season.

“If we will do that, we will accomplish what we’re capable of accomplishing with the day. You build a little bit of confidence on that, you take that, you apply that for the next one, you get a little bit better. That’s the process of it. It’s not a secret way or method. You just have to show up every day, be willing to pour everything out to get what you desire, and be true to who you are. I mean, the circumstance of our record, it’s not going to change who I am. I know why I do what I do and I understand how to do that at a very high level. I’ve experienced that through my entire life,” Norvell said.

“You know what, even when you’re doing it at a high level, it doesn’t mean that the results are always going to be exactly what you desire, but your response to that is what has to show up because that’s where your character, that’s where your belief, that’s where obviously the talent that you have as players and just — that’s where that gets to be put on display.”

The last time Florida State lost eight or more games in a season was in 1975 under head coach Darrell Mudra. The very next season, Florida State hired Bobby Bowden.

“That’s what I’m going to focus on, that’s what I’m going to continue to work to do, and we’re going to push forward, and we will have this program back to where it’s supposed to be in a very short time,” Norvell said. “But apologies don’t — it is what it is. I’m sick for everybody that has to watch what we put on display because they deserve better, and so do those kids, to be honest with you. So do the coaches, too. For the reasons that have — the reasons that it’s showed up and it’s been as disappointing as it is, we’ve got to take ownership of it. It’s my job to get it fixed.”

Next week will be another difficult task for Florida State as the Seminoles travel to South Bend. There, they’ll take on a Notre Dame team that is looking to make its case to be in the College Football Playoff field.