In a Surprise, Seminoles Dismiss 3 Football Coaches

© Melina Myers-Imagn Images

On Nov. 10, just a day after the Florida State Seminoles' (1-9, 1-8 Atlantic Coast Conference) ninth loss of the season, head coach Mike Norvell decided to shake up his staff for the season's final two games. Defensive coordinator Adam Fuller, offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Alex Atkins and wide receivers coach Ron Dugans were relieved of their respective duties and are no longer with the team.

Norvell said in a statement, “I appreciate the work these three men have provided over the last five years with me at Florida State. They are all great men with families who also have poured into our program. We had many great moments together here, and I have never doubted their passion for our players and for Florida State. Unfortunately, we have not upheld the Florida State standard with our results on the field this season. I did not make any of these decisions lightly, but I felt changes needed to be made to elevate our program back to where we all desire it to be.”

Seminoles Have Had Defensive Woes

On defense, the Seminoles have looked more like individuals than a cohesive unit. The biggest issue that the Florida State defense faced has been the inability to generate turnovers. For the season, the Seminoles are minus-14 in turnover differential. The defense allowed 453 yards on 62 plays against the Fighting Irish in a 52-3 loss on Nov. 9. On the season, Florida State is giving up almost 30 points per game compared to 19 points a season ago.

Co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Randy Shannon will assume defensive coordinator duties for the remaining two games, while current staff members will assume additional responsibilities. The staff shakeup allows Norvell to begin the search for new coordinators for next season.

© Melina Myers-Imagn Images

The change on offense was expected with receivers this season routinely dropping catchable passes from quarterbacks DJ Uiagalelei, Brock Glenn and Luke Kromenhoek. Under the revamped coaching staff, it will be interesting to see if the offense shows signs of life to generate more than their current averages of 259 yards and 13 points per game. The dismissal of Dugans was expected after reports circulated that former Seminoles receiver Keon Coleman was telling potential recruits to take their talents elsewhere instead of being coached by Dugans.

The Seminoles next take the field against Charleston Southern (1-9, 0-7 Big South) on Nov. 23. Florida State then has its annual rivalry game against the Florida Gators (4-5, 2-4 SEC). So, there is still an opportunity for Florida State's coaching staff to gain some valuable experience as the team gets ready for the 2025 season.