Change is inevitable in modern college football, and for Florida State, it became essential after a disastrous two-year stretch for the program.
After posting a combined 7-17 record over two seasons, FSU is sticking with head coach Mike Norvell while implementing significant structural changes to its football operations following a “comprehensive review.”
Athletic Director Michael Alford vowed to overhaul the program’s approach.
After consulting with Jake Rosenberg of The Athlete Group, Alford hired Deputy AD and General Manager of Player Personnel John Garrett – who worked with Norvell as the Seminoles’ offensive scouting director from 2022-23 – and Taylor Edwards as Director of Football and Player Acquisition.
These additions establish a revamped recruiting and organizational framework designed to ease Norvell’s workload, though he will retain final authority on all program decisions.
Alford, Garrett, and Norvell outlined the new structure during a press conference on Monday, Jan. 5.
Here are three key takeaways from their discussion.
‘Collaboration’ key to new front office structure, staff moves may not be done
Collaboration is the one word that all three used to describe how the new front office will operate in its new structure.
While input from leadership will be considered on major decisions, Norvell will retain final authority over the program’s direction. Garrett noted that he and his team – including Edwards – will ensure Norvell has everything needed to make fully informed decisions
“Coach Norvell has ‘HC’ next to his name,” Garrett said. “We’re all here to make sure we make the best decisions for Florida State University Football under his guidance. So, it’s our job to make sure he has all the information to make the proper decision for that.
“He does a wonderful job of allowing everyone to have input.”
“Coach [Norvell] will continue to set the direction of this program and have final determination in all aspects,” Alford added.
Norvell described the restructuring of the personnel department as an “absolute necessity.” He acknowledged a shared understanding that change was needed, and the new framework was developed in agreement with Alford and University President Richard McCullough.
“We needed to reassess. And the willingness to implement some of these changes is going to allow us to take our program to another level,” Norvell said.
Although Garrett and Edwards have already been active in transfer portal recruiting, Alford and Norvell indicated that additional staff hires are forthcoming. Both Garrett and Edwards will provide input on future additions to the team.
Recruitment plans, quarterback criteria revealed for future FSU prospects
Recruitment and program decisions will be split between the divisions, with Garrett responsible for leading recruitment plans, both in the portal and through high school, player retention, alongside “long-term resource allocation.”
Norvell will have final say on decisions, but he will be allowed more time to coach and develop players alongside identifying recruits.
Garrett said the program will divide the country up into sections for coaches and members of the recruiting department to focus on. There will be concentrated efforts to maintain and build upon relationships with high school staffers, film sessions, in-person visits, and internal discussions with what Garrett described as “recruiting liaisons.”
Those liaisons will represent the recruitment department under Garrett, and they’ll have weekly meetings with their assigned position coaches to go over scouted recruits and suggest potential new targets.
“They all have obviously responsibility over their position, and then they also have a region of the country that’s been assigned,” Garrett said.
“So they’re responsible for those areas and to evaluate them through watching tape, also talking to their high school coaches, getting their transcripts, evaluating uh them from an intangible standpoint. Then once they gather all that information, they believe they’re serious candidates for Florida State then they’re then they’re passed on.”
Garrrett said that once players are identified, they still need to work to get the kid on campus. Norvell said that Garrett will help bring in players that fit the standard of FSU, and any player brought in will be agreed upon by all staff involved with the recruitment, even if perspectives may differ at times.
“Making sure that the guys we bring in to Florida State that they fit Florida State, that expectation of a championship caliber individual,” Norvell said.
Accuracy, leadership qualities are key to FSU’s next quarterback
When it comes to quarterbacks, Garrett said he wants a quarterback who has strengths outside of just their physical traits.
While intangibles are important, and throwing an accurate ball is the most important thing to him, Garrett said a bonified leader and mentally “strong” quarterback is required.
“People put far too much emphasis on the physical skills. Certainly, they have to have the requirements. All right. But but it’s it’s more about the decision making, the leadership, the just taking care of the ball, managing the game and all those,” Garrett said.
“There are far more intangible characteristics that are important that lead to the success of good quarterback play than just whether he can throw it through that wall. There’s a lot of guys that can throw at it 80 yards that didn’t make it at their school or in the NFL because they didn’t have the leadership, the mental toughness, the ability to make proper decisions, the ability to process and go through a read to put the ball where it should be over the course of a play.”
What are the plans for player negotiations, NIL, and revenue sharing for the Seminoles
Negotiations about player compensation won’t include Norvell, with both Garrett and Edwards responsible for setting financial figures for players.
While Norvell won’t be involved, he will still be aware of the finances and resources being allocated to players.
“In today’s age, you look at rosters now, it’s a wide scope of the cost of roster and what people are operating with,” Norvell said. “We have what we have, and we’re going to work to maximize it.”
When it comes to revenue sharing and the $20.5 million ‘cap’ on spending from schools directly to players, Alford said FSU will help players with their “earning potential” with NIL deals.
He said that the university “fully supports” what NIL deals players can go out and find, and that the school will help provide the right resources to make those deals a reality.
“When you say cap, the university is capped,” Alford said. “But the earning potential is so far greater than what the university can provide.”
FSU football players in the transfer portal
Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: What we learned about FSU football’s new leadership structure
Reporting by Liam Rooney, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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