Report: Florida State Will Hire Memphis Head {Coach} Mike Norvell

Mike Norvell was expected to have his name linked to every major head coaching opening in the world of college football this offseason. Norvell had been lights out during his four years at the helm for Memphis, and now, he’ll be tasked with reviving a Florida State program that desperately needs a breath of fresh air.

The rumblings of Norvell leaving the Tigers for the Seminoles have been around for a few days. Things appeared to be coming to a head on Saturday afternoon when Florida State announced a press conference for noon on Sunday regarding their head coaching job, which opened up earlier this year when the school fired Willie Taggart.

The assumption was that it would be Norvell, who earlier in the afternoon led Memphis to an American Athletic Conference championship and a presumed berth in the Cotton Bowl as the highest-ranked Group of 5 champion. It turns out that’s the case, as Chris Low of ESPN reports that Norvell is, indeed, headed to Tallahassee.

While he doesn’t have a ton of head coaching experience, Norvell has been outstanding during his four years at the helm of the Tigers. He’s led them to a 37-15 record with three consecutive appearances in the conference title game, with his first win in that game coming in a 29-24 win over Cincinnati earlier in the day. While Norvell did not address his future with Memphis beyond this year after the game, he did say that his plan is to coach them in their bowl.

Those four years with the Tigers sum up the extent of Norvell’s time being a head coach. He had previously served as the offensive coordinator at Arizona State, and now, will be tasked with taking over the Seminoles. It’s been a tough gig as of late — along with their recent struggles, being in the same division as Clemson is awful hard — but Norvell is one heck of a coach, and at the very least, the FSU offense should end up being a whole lot of fun with him at the helm.