FSU football: Mike Norvell wins Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award

FSU football coach Mike Norvell has led one of the most impressive turnarounds in recent years, and the fruits of his labor are finally coming to light in the form of an undefeated season, the ACC Championship, and several awards. The latest award is the Boddy Dodd Coach of the Year Award. The requirements to win the award are below, and I can't think of another coach so deserving. FSU is built on the values of service, sacrifice, and respect. FSU has its highest team GPA of all time. Several players volunteer in the community or local schools or use their Name, Image, and Likeness(NIL) to help raise money for those less fortunate. The team went undefeated and on the ACC Championship for the first time since 2014.

From people looking at the program on the outside, Mike Norvell has turned FSU football around quickly. However, those close to the program understand how much work he and the coaching staff have put into getting to this point. It has been bouncing off rock bottom, overcoming the challenges a pandemic created in his first year before they had three full spring practices. It's overcoming roster deficiencies created by past coaches, being one of the first to successfully navigate the transfer portal at an elite level. It's overcoming false narratives created by the media and rival coaches. Another mantra Mike Norvell instilled in the program is to respond to adversity. It's something the team struggled to do on and off of the field when Mike Norvell arrived. That's no longer the case, and I can point to several instances where Mike Norvell has embodied this mantra to a tee. The College Football Playoff Committee robbed Mike Norvell of the chance to compete for a National Title, but at least he's getting some recognition for the job he's done thus far in Tallahassee. The great thing about Mike Norvell is he'd never make it about himself and would give all the credit to others.