The situation is currently looking pretty bleak for the Florida State Seminoles. The Mike Norvell saga is apparently coming to a close before our eyes as the team is locked in a strange struggle against itself due to the lack of success and the inability to make any meaningful changes because of Norvell's current contract.
The Noles are in a version of purgatory where quality play does show itself from time to time, but the overall product is simply not up to the standard of one of the proudest programs in college football. To make matters worse for the Seminoles, the rest of the state appears to be moving in the right direction.
Miami is undefeated and coming off a run to the National Championship. USF is undefeated and actually made some noise last season with a quarterback who was in contention for the Heisman. UCF is 3-1. Lastly, to rub salt in the wound, Florida is undefeated, ranked No. 8 in the country, and has miraculously made a major turnaround seemingly overnight.
For all the bad at Florida State, and there has been plenty, there was some comfort in the fact that at least the Gators weren't winning. Those days appear to be over. Without overreacting too early in the season, Jon Sumrall appears to have turned the Gators into an SEC contender overnight. Perhaps FSU could learn from this.
UF moved on from a bad coach, kept its recruiting class intact, and changed their identity with a new infusion from the HC. Sumrall was able make immediate and obvious changes by bringing in a new scheme and identity to the program, and FSU should be taking notes. Sometimes, a complete roster overhaul isn't necessary. A change at head coach could be the only thing keeping the Noles from actually returning to their spot as a consistent contender.
Mike Norvell's time has likely run its course, even if no changes are made in the short term. The administration may wait until the end of the season to make any decisions, but it still feels like the fanbase and the players (based on decommitments) are making their decision too.
While some people may fear a full rebuild and want to hold on to Norvell for the express purpose of avoiding that, the Gators' immediate success should at least put some of those concerns to rest. A quality hire at head coach could immediately flip the script for FSU, and perhaps it is time to start figuring out who that right hire will be.
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