Florida State needed to make a change after the 3-5 start to the 2026 season, and those changes did not just end with coach Mike Norvell hitting the curb. The Seminoles are officially parting ways with defensive coordinator Tony White, who was someone who also appeared to be on the chopping block all season.
Moving on from Norvell was up in the air the past few weeks, between a letter of support from the administration and a close fight with the Miami Hurricanes. However, three losses in a row are hard to overlook, especially when the team was expected to produce an improved product on the field this season. Improvements have not been made, or at least have not been enough to outweigh the chaos that has gone on.
White is the person who seemingly was never going to make it past the 2026 season, between an awful defensive collapse against Alabama and just an overall worse product. The 2025 season was far from what Florida State expected to see out of the defense, and White returned this year on the hot seat with an inconsistent, ineffective defense riddled with communication problems.
Florida State should never have let Tony White come back after the Alabama loss
Quite frankly, Florida State fumbled the staffing situation by not making the expected standard much clearer. White delivered a terrible performance against Alabama, where the team not only racked up 50 points but also recorded 567 yards of total offense while doing so. The Crimson Tide ran through White's defense when the team actually found a way to hang on offense.
The loss to Alabama should have been the final straw since the performance was so far below where the team needs to be. Florida State made things worse by again avoiding firing White after another collapse occurred in Louisville against the Cardinals. Louisville rushed for 397 yards, and the Seminoles' offense only had 362 total yards that game.
Two embarrassing losses, and each time, Florida State did nothing. Even with Norvell temporarily still in the picture for 2027 at one point, the decision to move forward without White was not made. The decision might have been held up by Norvell, who hired his own staff, but results are results, and White was nowhere near being in a position where ugly losses can be excused.
At this point, the decision has been made, and the past is now the past, but there is no denying that this is a move Florida State should have already made. White should have never made it to the Clemson game with his defensive performance in total this season, allowing four out of five ACC opponents to post 27 or more points.
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