Things aren't always as they appear on the surface.
From an outsider looking in, it appeared that Gus Malzahn was pretty bullish on UCF and it's growing profile in college football. That's why it was a bit of shock that the coach left Orlando to becoming the offensive coordinator at Florida State.
Whereas most coaches wait to get fired and collect the rest of their contract buyout money, Malzahn quit on his own and told UCF to keep the majority of the $12 million he was owed. And as It turns out he was going to quit whether a job was waiting for him or not.
Bianchi: Gus Malzahn was so miserable at #UCF, he would have retired if #FSU hadn’t hired him https://t.co/NwsMlUCttF pic.twitter.com/E5OiRKIdzH
— Sun Sentinel Sports (@Sentinel_Sports) July 24, 2025
In his latest column Mike Bianchi quotes Malzahn from a recent interview with Warchant's Ira Schoffel where the coach talked about his struggles in his final years at UCF.
“This was it,” Malzahn said of the FSU job. “I wasn’t out looking. I mean, I was either going to the beach and retiring or I was coming here. It was one or the other.”
Luckily for Malzahn and FSU, Mike Norvell was looking. He wasn't just looking for an offensive coordinator, but he was looking for someone to basically serve as head coach of the offense. Part of Norvell's staff realignment was removing himself from play calling and committing to more of a CEO role.
The Malzahn hire has yielded mixed reviews. While I think most FSU fans agree with the idea that Norvell needed to have more of a multi-dimension view of running the program, they also aren't crazy about Malzahn's offense. For a fan base that's had thred quarterbacks win the Heisman Trophy with prolific passing offenses, the idea of going to more a glorified wing-T isn't as exciting.
I can. You’re running the Gus offense and need a quick fix.
— Bud Elliott (@BudElliott3) July 24, 2025
Castellanos should have probably left BC when they hired O’Brien. BC was gonna want to put in a pro-style passing attack and TF cannot run that. https://t.co/rz49uxC5kb
But Mike Norvell is all in on Malzahn and, in a season where his back is against the wall, that's what matters most.
"You can feel his energy," Norvell said back in May. "We're a couple months into doing this together, being able to be back on the field with him, to hear him talking to players in meeting rooms, you can feel his passion for the opportunity. It's been exciting."