Florida State University
Football Media Conference
Monday, November 18, 2024
Tallahassee, Florida, USA
Mike Norvell
Press Conference
MIKE NORVELL: Appreciate you all being here. Good
getting back out on the field yesterday, getting the guys
back in game prep mode. I thought they did a really nice
job there last week. Had two really good practices. Mostly
was good-on-good, trying to keep speed, working on just
overall elements of communication, execution and really
having a big fundamental focus in regards to our growth
and the development throughout that work.
I thought the guys have handled the changes, some of the
changes there just around the program. I think guys have
handled it really well. Obviously everybody has feelings
about that, coaches, players, all of us, just anytime you do
have change, but I thought they did an outstanding job of
coming in, focusing on the moment, continuing to push and
work, and just looking to play our best game here this week
and going to be able to put that on display.
I thought yesterday was a good start to the week, and
obviously we have a great week of preparation, and seeing
these guys continuing to grow with the opportunity that’s in
front of us.
Q. With regards to the last couple practices with the
staff shift, how have guys responded to the new roles
of the coaches and also just in general how have those
coaches handled their new roles?
MIKE NORVELL: I think the coaches have done a good
job. Some guys are in different or expanded roles from
what they’ve been, and I think they’re doing a good job in
their preparation for the players, and I think the players
have done a great job in their response.
At the end of the day, we’re all in control of what we’re
willing to invest, what we’re willing to do, as I think as an
entire group, everybody is excited for the opportunity to go
get better, and that’s what our focus is.
We’ve got to go play our best game, and it starts with
having the best week of prep and making sure we’re taking
all elements of where we are and the areas and the
urgency to go get better. That has to show up on a daily
basis, and I think our guys did a good job of that in the
meeting room, and it’s carried over to the practice field, and
it’s got to continue throughout this week.
Q. The positions that have new position coaches, is
there a main person? You mentioned last week it
would be different people helping out. But like at
safeties, is there a main person or is it still kind of a
combination?
MIKE NORVELL: Yeah, we’ve assigned roles accordingly
throughout the staff so guys have a point of contact.
Obviously we’ve got multiple guys that are helping coach
and facilitate a lot of those things at each position group.
Q. You mentioned early on in the season DJ and
Roydell being ruled out for the season. Do those two
still have a chance of playing in the final game of the
season, and if not will they look for a medical redshirt?
MIKE NORVELL: You know, Roydell is progressing well. I
don’t expect him back this week. He still has one more
game of opportunity to be able to play. We’re going to
push with everything that we have to probably have him
available the next week. He’s still just now kind of getting
back into the swing of things, and I’ve liked the progress,
liked the work. He’s done a great job just trying to pour into
the group of running backs.
I don’t believe just where things are right now that DJ will
be available. He’s progressing, definitely putting in a lot of
work on his end of it, but he’s been remarkable in the
meeting room, and I’ve talked throughout the course of the
year just the way he’s been there to help kind of support
the quarterbacks, obviously that position group, and
obviously this team. He’s been at every practice, been
very engaged, trying to assist and help, but as he’s coming
back, he’s starting to get a chance to throw the ball a little
bit, but I just don’t know if it’s going to progress in time. But
definitely he’s working every day.
Q. Even though there are coaches in new roles or
different roles, how are you looking at the next couple
weeks as an evaluation process for them to see if they
can stay in those roles permanently or is that even an
option?
MIKE NORVELL: Yeah, we all have a job and
responsibility. Some roles have changed. Some
responsibilities have expanded. My expectation is that we
go be the absolute best that we can be. I’m definitely
grateful for the work our coaches are pouring in, and I
definitely believe in what they’ll be able to accomplish with
these roles and the expectation for what needs to show up
there on game day, and as we continue to go and play
these next two weeks.
I have no doubt that that’s what we’re going to get from our
staff and definitely looking forward to these guys showing
all of who we are with the opportunity that they have.
Q. You mentioned last weekend and Mike Alford
mentioned in the boosters’ Town Hall that you’ve had a
lot of people reach out and show interest in different
positions. You already have a pretty full plate. Are
you apportioning time to focus on those long-term
decisions, or how are you handling it?
MIKE NORVELL: This last week, there was a lot working
through it, and even throughout the course of this past
weekend. It was a lot of time that I poured into that,
whether it was conversations, whether it was evaluation,
where there’s been a really good amount of interest in the
positions. So just kind of sequencing through what could
be the right fit in each of the roles.
There will be time that I have kind of sectioned off
throughout the week that I’m going to be able to have the
best balance that I can have. I want to pour everything that
I have into these players and the opportunity for the week
that’s ahead, but where there are moments and chances
for me to focus on the coaching whether it’s search or
continuing to go through that process, obviously I’m going
to be able to do that to the best of my abilities with that,
and I think I’ve got a great structure to be able to make that
happen.
Q. When you look at the last two games, particularly
this game, Charleston Southern, is it more about
looking at what they do or is it strictly about execution,
and what’s the focus this week?
MIKE NORVELL: I mean, it’s all. We’ve got to go out
there, we’ve got to play our best game. For what they do,
it’s a part of — we’re working to put our players in the best
position to be able to achieve success, to be able to go out
and execute and to be able to play fast, play free, and you
get the opportunity to go make the play. We need to see
that happen.
So you don’t go into the game — obviously we’ve been
studying for all things that they do and throughout the
course of the season, and you’re looking at match-ups,
you’re looking at structures, schemes, all of that, and then
at the end of the day it’s upon our players, coaches to go
out there and put together the best plan that we can that
fits our players, for them to go and be able to execute at a
very high level.
Q. (Indiscernible) kind of evaluating what an ideal
candidate would be?
MIKE NORVELL: Absolutely, that’s a huge part of what
we’re doing and looking to be able to fill is we want the best
staff of coaches that are teachers, developers, guys that
have shown and proven that on the field, and then also
guys that are great relationship builders.
I think when you look across college football, the statement
of what a great recruiter is, it’s really twofold. Somebody
that — can you sign them? Great. What do you do with
them? You’ve got to have the relationship, but you’ve also
got to have the development factor that ties into that, and
then making sure that the evaluation piece of it is critical,
too. I think that’s one of the things that we’ve got to make
sure that the guys that we’re bringing are the right fit as
coaches, players, everybody involved that really can
embrace and help us advance in all those areas, but
absolutely, the recruiting piece of that and the relationship,
people that truly enjoy that aspect of this profession and
building relationships with the players is going to be critical.
Q. I think I know what you might say, but I feel like I
should ask. I know Brock and Luke have basically
been co-starters. Last week Brock started but they
both played. How are you evaluating them going into
the next couple weeks and is there a chance that Luke
could start this week’s game?
MIKE NORVELL: Well, you know, every rep that they get
is an opportunity for them to show where they are, their
development, their execution. So as both of them have
played, I think it is right because that’s how they’ve
basically approached each game, and I’m looking forward
to this week. I’m looking forward to these guys coming out
and competing to get better. I thought they did a really
good job of that there in the bye week and their work.
What I love about both of those guys is the ownership of
action. There’s been some challenges at playing the
position this year, just with different elements of things that
we’ve seen, things that you’ve had to kind of work through,
the good and the bad, but they own their work, and their
passion to go get better, and I think they’re doing a good
job of what they’re doing in the meeting rooms, of what
they’re trying to transition that and become more consistent
there on the practice field, and to see that carry over into
the games is big here in the next couple weeks.
Excited about the evaluation part of it for them and just
continuing to see them grow.
Q. You mentioned last week that throughout the
season your team has kind of faded in the second half
of games. Do you think strength and conditioning is
any part of that, and have you had any conversation
with Coach Storms about changing up the strength
and conditioning program a little bit this off-season?
MIKE NORVELL: I mean, we’ve got — I believe in a very
high level of our strength and conditioning program. Coach
Storms has proven and done a job throughout the course
of the years. Still when you look at speeds, numbers,
things that translate from practice to what’s showing up in
games, all those things are things that are factors that I do
look at.
There’s a lot of things that have shown up that don’t really
deal as much with the strength and conditioning aspect of it
when it comes to elements of our execution or things that
we’re doing, but we all have to push and get better, and
there’s not one department that — whether it’s strength and
conditioning, athletic training, coaching, all of it, we’re all
pushing to be the best that we can be to go and improve.
We all have ownership in it, but I definitely believe
wholeheartedly in that group, and it’s just proven through
the course of time. What they’ve been able to do this year
obviously as a football team, our performance is nowhere
near what any of us expect or what we desire, so we go
back and evaluate where our potential disconnects, where
can we have maybe a bigger point of emphasis to get the
desired result that we want, and that comes in every area.
But to answer the question, I’ve got a lot of confidence in
that group.
Q. Obviously Coach Shannon had a role in the
defense before. Have you got any sense since the
change that (indiscernible) personnel or scheme and
whether or not those are things that could be
implemented in the last couple weeks?
MIKE NORVELL: I mean, yes. As Coach Shannon has
now assumed the role of our interim DC, we’re going to do
everything that we can to be the best that we’ve been
throughout the course of the year, and if it’s personnel
changes, if it’s different things there that we can do to
attack in the course of a game — I want our players to play
fast. I want them to be confident in what they’re doing. I
want them to make sure when they get on the field, the
communication, what they’re being asked from a schematic
responsibility, that it’s something that plays and fits to
them, but I want them to be able to go out and play fast
and play free here these next two games.
I think Coach Shannon has got a great plan for that, and
obviously last week was — him jumping into and assuming
that role, obviously he’s had a lot of ownership in a lot of
things that we’ve been doing and a lot of respect for the
coach that he is and has been for this program, but now
he’s making the call when it comes to just some of the finer
elements of the game plan and things that — working to fit
our personnel in this match-up and obviously just seeing
our guys continue to grow.
I’ve given him the freedom to be able to have some of
those subtle changes, but ultimately it’s still all about our
guys being able to be confident when they step on the field
and being able to go out there and execute and be the best
that we’ve been throughout the season.
Q. You mentioned last week respecting conference
championship games in terms of like a timeline, but if
that’s not a factor, how likely or unlikely are you to
have some vacancies filled before the regular season
ends?
MIKE NORVELL: Probably out of respect for all people in
the regular season, we’re working through process, but like
I said last week, ideally when the regular season ends
you’d like to be able to have a really strong direction of
where it’s going, and there might be guys that could
potentially continue to be playing, where either
announcements, agreements that are made, we’ll see if
that’s potential options. There could be guys that assume
roles really quick after the season ends.
That’s kind of — there’s still a lot of ebb and flow before
decisions are made on who’s going to take those positions
and obviously all the conversations that surround that.
Q. As you approach the off-season, how do you view
restructuring the front office stretch of it and the Town
Hall meeting that I referenced earlier they talked about
evaluation being more important. How do you view the
front office changing alongside that?
MIKE NORVELL: I think when you look at all parts of the
program, there’s different dynamics that are going to be
new, with the revenue sharing, with that on deck. I think
when you look at roles, responsibilities, the personnel
structure of it is something that we definitely want to
continue to enhance to make sure that we’re able to fill the
needs and also make sure that we are doing the best job of
our evaluations on multiple levels, whether it’s within our
roster, whether it’s the high school level in recruiting,
whether it’s the transfer world. Just make sure that we
have the personnel that’s necessary and having that
structured to where we can be as efficient and effective as
possible because obviously high school recruiting, that
stretches over years, and when it comes to who’s available
in the portal, what that ends up becoming, it’s an absolute
sprint whenever it comes to that level of the evaluation.
So make sure that we’re doing our due diligence
throughout the course of all levels of that process and
having the right personnel structured to be able to be as
efficient but also as effective as we possibly can be.
Q. Specifically about the offensive line, you mentioned
guys handling the changes. But that position is one
where there’s multiple guys who have been here for a
long time with one position coach, and on the one
hand they’re probably more mature than some other
guys, but on the other hand that relationship is so
tight. Have you spent any time with those guys,
especially the veterans?
MIKE NORVELL: I think they’ve handled themselves really
well. In all reality, there’s a lot of ownership within this
program. It’s players, coaches — obviously anytime you
make a change, there’s nothing easy about that, nothing
easy about it for the staff, nothing easy about it for the
players. Players take accountability to it, as well, and that’s
where for them to even — you work through the emotion of
change, and when you have great relationships — I thought
our coaches, they did; they poured into these players.
Obviously the on-the-field results of this year have not
been what any of us desire and changes were made. But
the players take a lot of accountability to that, too, and
helping them understand, well, we are where we are, but
you have the opportunity of today, and what are you going
to do with today to honor the work of those that have
helped you throughout your journey, that have helped get
you here, that have helped provide the stage that you get
to go play this game on.
They might not be with you here now, but you can still
honor that by the work and the performance and the
growth that you show. That’s something that I think those
guys, they really care about each other, and I’ve really
been proud of — especially the older players, how they’ve
kind of poured into the younger guys, and even the
younger players, which they all have emotions, but even
for the younger players that maybe this is the first time
they’ve ever been a part of a change and just how to kind
of work through that and make sure that you can still
focused on the task at hand, control the things that you
ultimately can control, and just be there to support each
other, through the work, through the continued investment
in relationship, and just working through what is a
challenging situation. But I’ve really been proud of our
players and how they’ve handled themselves in that.
One thing I do want to recognize this week is our Seminole
Heritage game. We are definitely excited and honored for
the opportunity that we get to represent the Seminole tribe
of Florida and for what they mean to this program, this
university. I’ve had the opportunity to build many great
relationships with members of the Seminole tribe, and it
has been really special. As we go out this week, we
understand that this is — it’s a football game, but it’s a lot
more than just a game. Definitely look forward to honoring
the Seminole tribe of Florida and obviously all the heritage
of that with how we play good this week.
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