Menu
Florida State is having its worst season in 50 years, which has caused an uproar for changes to be made. FSU faithful got their wish on Sunday afternoon with the announcement of three coaches getting fired immediately in an official release from the school. Florida State will be moving on from offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Alex Atkins, defensive coordinator Adam Fuller, and wide receiver’s coach Ron Dugans.
The three coaches have been on staff throughout Mike Norvell’s five-year tenure at FSU, but amid this disastrous season changes had to be made. FSU’s offensive line is one of the worst in the country and there has been a lack of development despite good recruiting by Atkins. FSU has one of the highest dropped pass rates in the country and over the course of the season has lost every one of its receiver recruits. These two changes were the most obvious with the poorly performing units leading to a scoring offense that ranks 134th of 134 teams.
Adam Fuller has had an up-and-down tenure at FSU. He did coordinate back-to-back top 20 defenses in 2023 and 2023 but benefited from a roster loaded with NFL talent. Although they haven’t been helped by FSU’s terrible offense, the defense has looked poorly coached at times and currently ranks 101st in scoring defense. Co-DC Randy Shannon will take over calling the defense in the final 2 games. I know fans are questioning why he wasn’t included on that list, but someone must be on the sideline for the final two games, and he has experience as a DC. Other assistants and analysts will fill in to cover the vacancies until the end of the season.
I suspect this won’t be the end of the changes to FSU’s coaching staff both on and off the field. The move sends a message that this type of season does not meet the standard and changes will be made. Programs aren’t run based on what the fans want, but in college football, those are the financial lifeblood of a program. There is a lot of anger and angst among the FSU fanbase and asking them to renew season tickets, booster contributions, and NIL donations is a hard sell at 1-9. These moves should at least keep the pitchforks at bay temporarily.
Although most fans are calling for the slate to be wiped clean, in-season coaching changes don’t always make sense, especially when you don’t have an army of former head coaches to take over like at Alabama or Georgia. Now was a good time with FSU entering a bye week and only 2 games left. It also gets some of the changes made before early signing day arrives. FSU can start getting feelers out for the replacements now, so hires can be made swiftly after the regular season wraps up.
I also think that making these moves, it indicates that Mike Norvell is not going to be fired after the 2024 season, which does not come as a surprise with a massive buyout on the line. FSU will already be looking at around an 8.5 million dollar price tag for the three firings and more could be on the way. FSU needed to upgrade the staff, even though it was hard to justify after a run over 23-4 over the past two seasons. I view this as an opportunity for the program to take a step in the right direction in recruiting and development.
Here is Mike Norvell’s full statement on the coaching changes. “I appreciate the work these three men have provided over the last five years with me at Florida State,” Norvell said. “They are all great men with families who also have poured into our program. We had many great moments together here, and I have never doubted their passion for our players and for Florida State. Unfortunately, we have not upheld the Florida State standard with our results on the field this season. I did not make any of these decisions lightly, but I felt changes needed to be made to elevate our program back to where we all desire it to be.” Thanks for reading and Go Noles!
Share this Article with other Nole fans!
