Florida State fires defensive coordinator Tony White

Florida State fired defensive coordinator Tony White, according to On3’s Pete Nakos. White was hired ahead of the 2025 season under Mike Norvell. This comes now amid a lot of changes within Florida State football.

White was a two-time Broyles Award nominee for the nation’s best assistant coach and produced four top-25 defenses in six seasons as a defensive coordinator, including four consecutive at Syracuse and Nebraska from 2021-24. Norvell hired White away from Nebraska after the conclusion of the 2024 regular season.

$19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage

White’s firing comes the same day Florida State moved on from Norvell after seven seasons as head coach. FSU suffered its fifth loss of the season on Saturday, falling to Clemson 36-24 for its third straight defeat. The Seminoles also fired safeties coach Evan Cooper, according to Nakos.

The Seminoles are elevating safeties coach Ernie Sims to interim defensive coordinator, per Nakos. Tim Harris Jr. will take over playcalling on offense. Harris was serving as offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach already.

White “made an immediate impact on the Huskers in his first season by directing the program’s best defensive season since joining the Big Ten more than a decade earlier. Nebraska allowed only 92.9 rushing yards per game, the eighth-best rushing defense in the country in 2023 and the best at Nebraska this century, while also ranking 11th nationally in total defense and 13th in scoring defense,” his coaching profile read.

Prior to his time at Syracuse and Nebraska, White was the defensive passing game coordinator and cornerbacks coach at Arizona State in 2018 and ’19. White also coached cornerbacks at San Diego State from 2009-17 and added recruiting coordinator duties for his final six years, helping the Aztecs win three conference championships and play in eight bowl games.

“I’m excited about this opportunity to join Coach Norvell and the Florida State football program,” White said when he was hired in December of 2024. “Florida State is an elite institution both academically and athletically with a historic football program that has produced some of the best teams in the sport. My family and I are looking forward to being able to add to that tradition with Coach Norvell, a person and leader I respect for the success he’s had and the way he does it.”

At the time, Norvell was thrilled to bring him aboard from Nebraska. On paper, it looked like a standout hire to beef up the FSU defensive staff, especially after the Seminoles struggled in that department.

“I’m excited to bring Tony White into the Nole Family in such an important role on our staff,” Norvell said. “His aggressive, innovative defensive scheme provides opportunities for playmakers to shine and is extremely difficult on opposing offenses. Tony has a proven track record coordinating elite defenses against some of the best competition in the country, and I’m looking forward to his impact on our return to the Florida State standard.”