Florida State football did not have the season that it wanted in 2025, with a 5-7 record. The Seminoles' fan base thought it could be something special with beating Alabama in the season opener, but the optimism was short-lived.
The program added a couple of new coaches to the staff, but one of the bigger storylines was that offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn and defensive coordinator Tony White were planning on returning to the Seminoles in 2026.
The fan base was already pessimistic about Coach Norvell being retained by the administration, given that the Seminoles had a 2-10 record in 2024 and a 5-7 record in 2025. Some individuals didn't think that he could handle leading a program again.
Mike Norvell is betting on himself in a vital 2026 football season
Norvell is always on the unfortunate end of bad news throughout his tenure at Florida State. He decided to bring on a mentor, Gus Malzahn, to be the Seminoles' offensive coordinator. It was thought to be a good move by Norvell after the Alabama victory, but the offense became inconsistent in the final nine games of the year.
Malzahn was rumored to retire or look for another job elsewhere, but he continued to stay on the staff. However, on Monday afternoon, it was announced by the offensive coordinator that he would be retiring.
This will now allow Mike Norvell to be the main play caller. Norvell was considered to be the CEO of the team, which is a role that many coaches in college football hold. With that said, former quarterback Jordan Travis mentioned on his Instagram that Norvell's play-calling works.
Former Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis makes a bold statement of head football coach Mike Norvell being the play caller again after Gus Malzahn retired. pic.twitter.com/eZ3BkvMeey
— Norvell Central (@CentralNorvell) February 2, 2026
It is understandable why Travis is in favor of Mike Norvell because he gave him a chance to be successful as a college quarterback. The 2022 campaign with Norvell calling plays had success.
While the 2024 season was awful, it had more to do with the acquisition of players than the play-calling (still on the shoulders of Mike Norvell). This is a perfect opportunity for Norvell to prove the doubters wrong.