Florida State University
Football Media Conference
Saturday, November 30, 2024
Tallahassee, Florida, USA
Coach Mike Norvell
Press Conference
Florida 31, Florida State 11
MIKE NORVELL: First off, extremely disappointed in
today. Made too many mistakes throughout the course of
the game. Turned the ball over five times. Too many
negative plays. Their offense, lacked explosive play. Had
our shots. Had opportunities. Just couldn’t capitalize on
them.
Defensively we gave up the explosive play. Missed
tackles. You know, couple times missed communication.
Didn’t fit where we needed to be and they took advantage
of that.
You play in a game like this, I mean, you got to play with
passion. You got to play with control. You got to make
sure that with all the emotions that you have, it still comes
down to discipline and fundamentals.
When you turn the ball over like we did, puts you an
extremely difficult situation to have success. Unfortunate
learning experience for some young players, but something
that ultimately this game means so much to our program
and to what we’re about, and absolutely nowhere near the
standard of how we want it to be and what it needs to look
like.
So it’s a disappointing ending to an awful season. It’s the
best way I can put it. Very disappointing that we performed
the way we did. There’s a lot of circumstances that have
shown up. Had our fair share of adversity and some things
outside of our control and some things we did control.
Had a lot of young players that got opportunities and had to
kind of get thrown into it before maybe their time. But with
each of those reps they got, it’s an opportunity to grow,
opportunity to build upon it.
Just like I told the team there in the locker room, this is
getting fixed. It’s going to be an immediate, fast fix. We
are going to make sure that every person a part of this
program is all in in that process for what’s necessary to go
be better in how we respond, in how we continue to fight,
develop, to execute, to go out there and perform to win the
game and putting everything that we have to be the best
we can be.
And it’s going to start here in the off-season. Obviously we
have recruiting. Signing day here this next week. We’ve
got the portal I guess recruiting season opening up. That
will be our focus of high school and potential additions of
transfers coming in.
Then starting in January and really leading up, everything
to that point it’s going to be our focus to bounce back as a
program. That is what we’re going to do. It’s going to take
an incredible amount of work. It’s going to take a unique
set of guys that are going to come in here. The ones that
are returning and the ones coming in, be prepared to fight
every day for our identity and for what we’re all about.
I’ve got a lot of confidence in who I’ve got in this locker
room that will be returning and a lot of confidence in the
guys that we’ll be bringing in to help on this journey. This
is done being the way that we played this year.
Obviously I take full responsibility in that. Went through the
season, a lot of evaluation, a lot of areas where we have to
improve and where we have to get better.
I’m willing to do what’s necessary to make sure that we
don’t ever have a season anywhere near what we put on
display here this year.
So to the Florida State fans, the University, past players,
even the guys in that locker room, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for
what showed up throughout the course of this year. It will
be fixed.
Q. You spun it forward a great bit there. What did you
learn from this year? What was the biggest lesson to
help prevent something like this from ever happening
again?
MIKE NORVELL: There were layers to events that
happened throughout the course of the season. It’s every
area of the program has to improve, has to be better when
it comes to all elements of our development, continuing to
challenge the mindset, continuing to make sure that we are
executing doing the things and being able to translate
through the course of the game the things that we
emphasize throughout practice, fall camp, the off season,
because we did not do a good enough job of that.
It’s the coach’s responsibility; player’s choice. When it
comes to the accountability of the actions that show up on
the field, obviously did not do a good enough job as a
coaching staff, and there is joint accountability in all of that.
I’m solely responsible for all things, right, that happen
within this program.
But everybody that is within the program has to make that
same choice. They have though make the same decision.
Just as I told the team as we move forward, I want it all
from every single person that’s in that locker room, a part
of this team, people joining this team because we did do a
good enough job of taking the things that we work and
emphasize and push as values and standards within this
program to not show up well enough on game days
throughout this season.
Q. Can you comment on the reports that Gus Malzahn
is coming in as offensive coordinator? Where do you
stand with the coaching hires you have to make, I
guess?
MIKE NORVELL: You know, I know we’ve identified an
offensive coordinator and very excited about who that will
be. I know there is still some things we have to finalize
there in the I guess hiring process before I can comment.
Is that right? I’m excited about who we have identified
though.
Q. You’ve talked the last few weeks about having to
split time between starting to do some look-ahead stuff
and trying to give your best to this current team. I
don’t know if excitement is the term, but how ready are
you to make this off-season and that improvement
your full-time focus starting tomorrow?
MIKE NORVELL: Yeah, I mean, obviously you got to —
this is a unique calendar that I guess is our new normal.
When you have big changes like we’ve had, you know,
everything that we do is either building us for what’s going
to be ahead and obviously trying to put ourselves in the
best position for the results, the experience on the field as
we finish the season.
Did not do a good enough job here tonight. There is a
great deal of excitement for what’s ahead. You know, I
believe in, like I said, the young players that we have that
will be returning. I’m absolutely excited about guys that will
be coming in to be a part of this bounce back.
For us, I mean, as a staff, making sure that we evaluate
and find the right leaders, which I’m very confident we are
doing, and have done in spots.
But it’s going to be a great push. I’m excited for that work.
I’m excited for that challenge. I’m excited for all the things
to be able to put an identity and who we are on display,
because we got a way from that. Our identity did not show
up on a consistent basis the way it needed to throughout
the course of this season.
That’s on me, that’s on us. It’s my job to get it fixed.
Q. I know just happened like 20 minutes ago, but
talking about the drive and your want and will, how
much do you think pulling that flag out of the field is
something that starts that? Is that an image, a
moment that will — you could foresee driving you for
the next months, weeks, years?
MIKE NORVELL: I mean, I don’t need anything extra, but
that’s not going to happen. That’s not going to happen
here. I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure
we don’t experience that again.
Q. Coach, just following up on that, can you talk about
what happened in mid-field and your discussion with
Coach Napier?
MIKE NORVELL: Told him what I thought. They won the
game and they have the right to celebrate just like we have
in the previous years. This is the way that you operate?
That’s fine. You want to come do that? That’s absolutely
your decision that you can have within a team.
But I just told him what I thought.
Q. Kind of touched on it, but the next few days filling
out this recruiting class, how important is it going to
be and how quickly do you have to change the mindset
and get in that recruiting mode?
MIKE NORVELL: We’ve been in it. It’s not something
tomorrow you’re all of a sudden going to turn on. We’ve
had a really tough season. Obviously you go through a
tough season, deal with a lot of negative, that kind of builds
upon that.
You know, recruiting 18, 17, 18 year old young men, easily
influenced through opinions of others, when you find the
guys that have a strong understanding of the opportunity,
of what they’re looking to be a part of and what they want
to be able to leave their mark throughout that journey,
that’s when you got a chance to do something special.
We have had those guys that have come in in the past and
we’re going to have them come in now. Because like I
said, this will be a year we look back and it’s going to be
sick to remember, but it will be one that absolutely will
never happen again.
The people that are coming in are going to be a part of
that. The people that are here and that return will be a part
of that. And, yes, the choice has to be made. So as much
of the talent and the ability, which all are critical, it’s the
mindset. It’s the approach. It’s the toughness. It’s the
willingness to be uncomfortable.
It’s all of it, because that’s what happens in life. That’s
what happens throughout the course of a football game.
That’s what we’re going to go seek and that’s what we’re
going to bring into this program.
Q. Coach, said it will be an immediate fast fix. Took
you four seasons to make this a championship caliber
program. Why will it be such a quick fix to do it all
over again in one year?
MIKE NORVELL: It took us two years, and the third year
we won ten games and we had games that we weren’t
good enough in the middle of that season where we had
opportunities to compete. We won the championship and
went undefeated and won 19 games in a row between that
third and fourth season.
I know what it looks like. Even coming in that first year,
plenty of challenges with even how we got to get started,
that kind of made it even that much more difficult. We
didn’t get to go into a high school for the first year, almost
year and a half that we were here. There are plenty of
things that we’ve had to work through during our time here.
This year, absolutely unacceptable. Awful season. I know
the guys that we have, especially in these last few
recruiting classes, guys that got a lot of early experience
that didn’t always look good, but opportunities for them to
learn and grow through.
It will be all those experiences, the growth, development,
and the push moving forward. That’s going to be a huge
spark for us as we get into the off-season, get into building,
identifying — building that identity for this team in the next
season and making sure we get the right guys to come in
and be that spark as well.
And so I’m confident, because I went through my entire life,
I know what it is to be successful. There is plenty of
situations you might find yourself in that you might not want
to be in, but there is a way that you work, you approach the
things that are in front of you and you will rise and you will
achieve it.
And we’re going to do that here.
Q. Obviously the roster is going to look much different
next year. Do you already have an idea what it’s going
to look like? As far as the young players you really
like and are excited about, do you feel good about how
many of them are going to stay?
MIKE NORVELL: The question keeps getting asked for six
weeks. Who is going to stay? At the end of the day, yes,
kids can transfer. That’s not a secret. Ultimately, if you
have a bad season, things don’t go the way you want, first
instinct is just to run and go, I got to get away from that,
well, you’re not — we signed up for this together, and guess
what? We’re all a part of it. The players that are here, the
coaches, we are all a part of what this season was.
You know, ultimately, yeah, we all have to take
accountability. What are you going to do to fix it? It’s easy
to leave, to quit. It’s human nature. It’s what everybody
wants to do. You know what? If that’s going to be the
driving force, go find an easier situation to go jump myself
into, good luck. You’re probably not going to fulfill the
things you’re capable of.
We’ve had guys that have left here before. A lot of them
thought they were going to go to some great situation in a
much better place. You know what? I usually get a call
back a year later seeing if they can come back. Even
throughout this year, for as bad as we’ve been, I mean, I
totally understand that, but you know what? Also, I’ve
watched these guys work.
There has not been a time where our guys have pulled
back and not worked. Now, has it been as disciplined,
detailed, have we been able to translate that to the field?
No, we have not.
That’s why there is a full scope evaluation. But, yes, do I
talk to our players about what it’s going to look like moving
forward? Absolutely. I try to go as far from sugarcoating it
as possible so they know how hard and challenging we’re
going to push to go get this right.
If that scares them off, so be it. Not one of them has pulled
back. You know, there is all different circumstances in
college football nowadays. You know what? It’s going to
be out there. If they’re quick to leave, then probably not
going to be the difference maker that we need to be able to
get through all — where we are right now.
I’ve got a lot of confidence in this group. I got confidence
because I am around them. I’ve around them a ton. You
know what? Some guys, we got some players that didn’t
even play this year I think will be contributors this next
season. They just need time.
Guys that played this year that honestly didn’t really want
them to play this year because I knew there would be
some challenges, but they got thrown into it and had to
grow through it.
It’s just one of those parts of life. Sometimes you find
yourself in situations that you just don’t want to be in but
you get to make the choice to go pour everything you have
to be the best you can be.
We’ll learn and grow from it. Obviously anybody that we’re
going to be recruiting, I’m going to let them know exactly
what to expect, too. Just like we did two years ago, three
years ago when guys came into this program and said
that’s what I want to be a part of. That’s what I want to be
— I want to be that spark.
I want to be somebody that’s going to stand up and be able
to help guide through what was an extremely challenging
season. That’s how you become legendary in a place. We
had bunch of guys in these last two teams that left here as
legends because of the work and decisions they made.
You know what? Carried them really well here and it’s
carrying them really well there in the next phase in their
life, too.
We got a lot of those guys, I firmly believe that, on this
team. I’m not expecting a bunch of them to go run away.
I’m not. Do I talk to them? Yes. But I don’t sit there and
say, are you going to come back? Please don’t leave.
That’s not going to be it. They’re too strong for that. I
mean, they understand what’s in front of us. They
understand the opportunity. Go be what you came here to
be. Didn’t show up this year for our football team, but
you’re here to be a difference maker. Go be a difference.
Q. You spoke of the calendar and how December is
cramped. How important is it to have your staff
finalized as far as dismissals and hires for returning
players?
MIKE NORVELL: Most important thing is right. That’s the
most important thing. We have to get it right. Do I want
everybody hired yesterday? Yes. I do. It’s an easy thing
to be able to work through. You can point to it.
You can have the relationships. But that’s not going to be
the reality of what it is. We are progressing really, really
well on what the staff is going to be. Very excited about
developments and the opportunities that are ahead. It’s
going to be an incredible staff.
But still the most important thing is to make sure it’s right.
The right fit for the young men we’re bringing in. The right
dynamic. Going to be some continued development
throughout our football program of areas where I know we
have to be better.
When you have a season like this, there is a lot of areas
we have to be better. So from a top-down approach that’s
what I’m searching for. For the minds, the abilities that a
coach brings, the heart they have, the impact they’re going
to have on others, whether it’s coaches, players, all
elements of this program, there is a great responsibility
what it needs to look like.
So I’m not going to rush just to say that we have
somebody. I’m going to make sure that we’re detailed and
thorough and we get the right person to come in and be the
best at the job they’re tasked to do. Obviously be sprinting
forward from the minute they get here.
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