Mike Norvell quote on Gus Malzahn shows his incredible worth for Florida State

Gus Malzahn might've been FSU football's best offseason acquisition.

There was much made of Malzahn leaving UCF to accept the job as offensive coordinator at FSU. Why would he leave a head coaching job at a Power 4 school for a "demotion"? How would the Mike Norvell-Gus Malzahn dynamic work? And more than anything, would FSU's offense get better?

And so far, the results have been extremely positive to the point that it's safe to say Malzahn's presence in the program has revitalized Seminole football.

​Norvell looks like a completely new man, free from the stress of last season. He has a coach by his side that he's known for decades and someone he trusts to take over the offense. It allowed Norvell to look at the bigger picture and focus on the wellness of his program. 

“It’s nice because he’s a machine. He really is. It’s just the way he can go about his vision of what he wants it to look like, tying it to our players and what you can do, and then understanding what it needs to look like," Norvell said during his media availability this week. "Really, he’s done an outstanding job. He’s having fun… As we’ve gotten into the season, it’s a joy for me.”

​Coaching overhaul shows Norvell's maturation

It's hard to change something when it's working and sometimes winning can hide flaws. So there wasn't any pushback when Norvell retained the majority of his staff after seasons of 10-3 and 13-1. But from the outside, it was apparent that the FSU coaching staff was lacking in a lot of places. 

Eventually, the hammer dropped and Norvell was forced to fire the majority of his staff after a 2-10 season. The first Norvell staff was filled with coaches that were limited in experience at the P4 level. That had to change, and it did by bringing in Malzahn to run the offense and Tony White to run the defense.

Norvell gave up control to both coordinators. Malzahn brought in Herb Hand to coach the offensive line and Tim Harris Jr. to coach receivers, while White added Terrance Knighton to the defensive line and Evan Cooper to coach safeties. 

Malzahn gives FSU a second head coach on the staff. He knows how to run a program and his input is invaluable. Norvell had to have the maturity to let go of the reins so Malzahn and White could make the decisions they felt were needed to make sure FSU football was successful.

This caused the defection of quarterback Luke Kromenhoek, but losing one player was a small sacrifice for a greater gain. It was a leap of faith for Norvell, but Malzahn and White are two coaches he trusts.

Will this union last forever? Probably not. White's star is fast rising, and he will almost certainly get head coaching offers over the next few seasons. Malzahn might get the itch to be a head coach again if the right job is available. But that's the price of having good coaches on staff and the rewards are worth the risk of losing them.