Mike Norvell fires Florida State assistant coach in a truly stunning move

FSU has announced that defensive backs coach Patrick Surtain Sr. will be retained. In an offseason where many changes are expected, this is somewhat of a surprising move.

Surtain has been with the Seminoles since 2023. Before arriving in Tallahassee, Surtain was the head coach of American Heritage High School in Plantation, Florida for six years (2016-2021) and spent a year with the Miami Dolphins as a defensive assistant. He also spent 11 years in the NFL and his son, Patrick Surtain Jr., currently plays for the Denver Broncos and is considered one of the top cornerbacks in the league.

Since coming to FSU, Surtain has had a reputation for being a solid, if not spectacular, recruiter and defensive backs were often among the highest-rated players in the class. That includes FSU's most recent class, which has cornerback Chauncey Kennon as the top-rated prospect. 

The cornerback play over the past few seasons has been about average. There were some players that seemed to thrive under Surtain's coaching, like sophomore Ja'Bril Rawls and freshman Shamar Arnoux. Other top prospects like Charles Lester III, who was the top-rated defensive player in the FSU's 2024 recruiting class, have not made the expected impact. Top transfer cornerback Jerry Wilson got progressively worse as this season went on. 

More changes are on the horizon

While Mike Norvell will be retained for a seventh season, the changes around here are expected to be significant. No one has been willing to speak much about those changes, but there are expected to be new faces on the coaching staff and in the front office. That could include a new general manager who would directly report to athletic director Michael Alford. 

FSU football has chronically underachieved under Norvell, failing to record winning seasons in four of his six years leading the program. The Seminoles are 7-17 over the past two seasons and haven't recorded a road win during that time. 

Fans are surprised at this move

FSU fans wanted their pound of flesh from this underachieving staff and most of the fingers were pointed at linebackers coach John Papuchis, who is also the coordinator for a special teams unit that can directly be blamed for the loss to N.C. State a few weeks ago.

The angry mob is also pointing fingers at quarterbacks coach Tony Tokarz and general manager of personnel Darrick Yray. Announcing Surtain as the first domino to fall is a surprise to many.