Florida State University
Football Media Conference
Monday, November 11, 2024
Tallahassee, Florida, USA
Mike Norvell
Press Conference
MIKE NORVELL: Good morning, everybody. Appreciate
you being here. We’ll just start off today, just want to give
a special thank you to all the veterans out there here on
Veterans Day, just for their service to our country, for the
work and the sacrifices that are poured in from themselves,
and the time and investment that helps allow us to have
the freedoms to do all the things that we get to do here in
this wonderful country. To all the veterans, definitely
appreciate you, and it’s great to be able to celebrate the
work that you have put in and all the investments into our
country.
To Coach Pensky and the soccer team, just so very
excited for the ACC Championship there yesterday.
Obviously a great day, and just an incredible season.
That’s not done yet, but definitely want to congratulate that
team and the way that they’ve worked and responded
throughout the course of the season to finish as ACC
champions. Definitely proud of them.
Coming off the weekend, it’s been a really hard weekend.
Obviously from the game, I told you afterwards, extremely
disappointing, to the performance, how we played. It was
a game that we had our moments, we had our
opportunities early, and then kind of snowballed on us
there in the second half, and the game got away.
I thought even going back watching the film, I did not
question our players’ effort. I thought they played hard.
They tried to fight throughout it. But ultimately were not
good enough in our performance, and that’s in all three
phases, everybody involved in the program.
Yesterday with the decision to change with the three
coaches, obviously, it’s hard. Those are great men, and
they’re great coaches. Obviously this season and where
we are is not to the standard of anyone, and in all reality
not to the standard of them, either.
But the decision to make the change was one that I
deemed was best for the program, and obviously we are
going to bounce back. We’re going to bounce back
quickly. Obviously it’s my job and my task to make sure
that whatever we need to do to help accelerate that
process and to continue to pour into these players for the
next three weeks — this week being a bye week and the
next two games, we have to do that.
Had a team meeting last night. Did not have practice.
Was able to inform the team, and then we had meetings on
both sides of the ball and kind of refocused for what these
three weeks need to be.
This week is going to be a week about work, as I
mentioned after the game, and we’ve got to go get better.
We have some guys that need to get their bodies healed
up and ready to go play their best for the next two contests,
and then obviously all of our focus is on that.
For me, there is obviously the task of what will be next
when it comes to the leadership on both sides of the ball
and what we’re doing there, so obviously I’ll have some
kind of a split role, especially this week as we’re kind of
going through, have some preliminary plans, and obviously
it’s been a season full of evaluation as we’ve gone through
it, and I’m going to continue to do everything I can to pour
into these players but also make sure that we’re doing the
due diligence and identifying the right fit for Florida State
as we’re moving forward.
With that, I’ll take questions.
Q. Talk about the decision to make the coaching
changes now and how you ultimately went about
making this decision.
MIKE NORVELL: Obviously there’s never a good time or a
right time to do that, but I felt like it was a time that was
necessary for us, and I felt it was in the best interest for our
program, and that’s why I decided to make that decision
there yesterday.
Ultimately it’s still about the focus of what we can do to go
finish the season the best that we can. The results have
not been to what anybody expected, but we are where we
are, and I made the choice to make a change, and it was
what I felt was the right time to do it.
Q. You talked to some of the players, but how did they
react to that, and what was their thought process in
moving forward?
MIKE NORVELL: Well, it’s a hard day. Anytime there’s
change, and you couple that with it’s change because of
results and the results on the field. There’s joint
accountability to that. It’s players, coaches, everybody
involved. It got real yesterday. Three great men that have
poured a lot into this program, their families — I love their
families. They poured a lot into this program. Each of
these guys have had that relationship.
It’s hard for them. It’s hard for everybody. But at the end
of the day, we all still have a task and we have
responsibilities of what we need to be and what we need to
do from here, and for our team it’s to come together, it’s to
control the things that we can control and our work, our
effort, our improvement.
Even though those three coaches won’t be here, I still have
an obligation to them. I have an obligation to them to make
sure that everything that we’re doing, all the work that they
poured in over the last five years, Ron being here for six
years, that it’s continuing to build upon where our program
is going, even though they’re not going to be a part of it.
There’s a lot of effort that they’ve poured into it, too.
We all have responsibilities, and for this university, for this
program, for our fan base, it is with every part of my spirit
and being to get this right, and we’re going to get it right.
We’re going to bounce back. We’re going to be on track to
where we need to be going.
Message to the players and message to everybody around
the program is that their best is going to be required.
There can be plenty of circumstances that arise, and we
see it through the course of games, you see it through the
course of life. Sometimes you don’t necessarily feel good
about what’s happened. It doesn’t always work out the
way you want it to, but you still get to make choices.
Our choice now is to go fight for our improvement, to
believe in each other, to believe in what the standard and
the expectation is to be a part of this program because
there will be no letup, and there will be no pull-back. It
doesn’t matter who it is.
To be a part of this program, there’s going to be one way
that we’re operating moving forward, and I can promise
you, it’s going to be with everything that I’ve got and all
those that surround me.
Q. Coach, as you’re aware, early signing period is just
a few weeks away. What will be your plan? What will
be your message to recruits right now with obviously
some vacancies in the coaching staff to try to hold
those kids and also recruit ones that are not
committed yet?
MIKE NORVELL: Yeah, obviously a lot of communication
last night. I was able to — I think I was able to connect with
every commit in this class, guys that are our top targets,
and one guy whose phone was not available in the
younger class. But I’ve touched base with all of those
guys.
You spend a lot of time building relationships, and there’s
times that when those roles are — positions change, it’s
hard for kids, but they also understand all the things that
are in store for them and the opportunity that’s here has not
changed. It’s just about being able to share as much as I
can with them, just the vision for what’s ahead. We all
know the expectation. Nothing has changed with that, from
all the things they’ve done in the recruiting process.
But these are not the results that they’ve wanted, either,
and obviously I think a lot of the guys that we have, they’re
either committed or guys that are our top targets, they’re
going to be part of that spark. They’re going to be those
difference makers that we’ve talked about throughout the
course of the year that I think can come in and be able to
put their stamp on this program.
We’ve seen it before, and we saw it a few years ago when
we were coming off a couple of underwhelming seasons on
the field. Guys have made a choice. They’ve said I want
to go and I want to be a part of and I want to help spark the
change, and they did. You got to lift a championship
trophy. You got to win 19 games in a row, I think the
second most ever in program history. You got to
experience a lot of good things. A lot of those guys are
now playing in the National Football League and benefitted
from that choice.
We’ve got guys that are in this program that are freshmen
and redshirt freshmen and true sophomores, some guys
that have already come in and been able to play that were
a part of that, part of those decisions, and even though
right now they might not be physically and some of them
even mentally where they need to be to make that
play-in-and-play-out impact, they’re going to be great
players here. It’s just trusting that development, trusting
the process of what people talk about of just going to get
better.
We’ve got older guys that obviously get to continue to push
and work to lead and work to inspire the guys that are
around, and like I said, it’s a choice for all of us. We’re
going to bounce back, and the messaging and even how it
was received last night and how it’s going to be continued
to be reiterated throughout these next few weeks, I mean,
it’s just all going to be real.
The real ones will show up, and I’m very confident in that.
Q. The release mentioned that Randy will handle DC
duties in the interim. Who will handle OC duties as
well as O-line coaching and receiving duties?
MIKE NORVELL: Yeah, obviously having a couple spots
there, we’re going to work collectively as a team in that
regard. Obviously with Gabe, he’s kind of assumed that
role there earlier in the season in the absence of Alex, so
he will continue to be kind of the key and point there on the
O-line, and then at receiver, Guy will kind of handle things
day-to-day. He’s been working with that group, but then
also Austin Tucker. We’ve got obviously a great coach in
Coach Stockstill that will be able to help where we’re down
a couple of coaches. He’s going to be around and involved
and helping the majority of positions. But got a great
background there, as well.
I’ve got a lot of confidence in the coaching staff that we
have and what we’re going to be able to do over these next
few weeks. Everybody’s responsibilities, it’s kind of a
heightened sense of importance because there might be a
little bit more crossover for guys and making sure you’re
connecting with the players, make sure that we’re meeting
them where they are, and then obviously doing all the
things necessary for us to go out there and be our best
these next two games.
Q. With the early signing period so early, do you have
a timeline for coaches, hires? Is it realistic to get
some in place before then?
MIKE NORVELL: Yeah, I have a desire. I’d love to say
that December 1st would be a great day to finish the
season and — but how real is that going to be? Obviously I
want to respect everybody as they’re going through their
process, guys playing in championship games. We’re
going to respect the process of what that could be.
Got even a very short period of time, had some
tremendous interest in positions and roles even from guys
at the next level. We’re going to evaluate all things just to
be right. Obviously we want to make sure that in all
decisions that we want to be able to expedite the process
as much as we can, but as long as it’s right — and would it
be good for guys on signing day to know exactly who’s
going to be in place? Yes. But I’m going to communicate
as much as I possibly can with the guys that are committed
to us, the guys that — kind of where that journey has taken
us, and we’ll make the best decision when the time is right.
Q. Do you foresee a scenario where you’re interested
in an OC and an OC is interested in you and there’s a
conversation about is it my offense, is it your offense?
Do you see a scenario where you bring in an OC and
it’s his offense?
MIKE NORVELL: I mean, I would say yes to all. All those
conversations are real. I’m open to — we haven’t been
good enough offensively this year. It’s been awful. We all
know it. We’ve all watched it. There’s been plenty of
reasons for that, and there’s been plenty of things that we
have to improve and be better. But my job is to evaluate
every part of our program, what we’re doing, how we’re
doing it, and then make the best choice of what’s going to
— where are we going to take the biggest steps obviously
as fast as possible to be able to go be what I know we’re
capable of becoming.
So yes to all questions. I will evaluate all those things, and
everything is on the table.
Q. On the other side of the ball, looking at defense, are
there traits or experiences you’re looking for with the
next defensive coordinator?
MIKE NORVELL: Yes. I’ve got a plan in place for what —
you don’t make decisions like this, to this scope, without
having an idea of what it is that you are looking for, what
are the areas where I think we can continue to improve and
support our players and highlighting the guys that we have
and also highlighting the guys that we’re going to go get.
I do have a plan in that. Don’t want to get into too many
specifics at this time. But yes, I’ve got a picture of what
that’s going to be.
I’ve been fortunate throughout my career, I’ve had to hire a
lot of coaches, and very few times have I had to hire
coaches because of the situation that we’re in now.
Usually it’s been from guys getting promotions and other
opportunities that have presented itself. But I know what it
looks like.
Even coming here, the guys that have been here for the
last five years and some guys that have joined in
throughout this journey, we’ve had some really, really good
coaches, and they’ve proven themselves throughout the
time, and unfortunately this year has not been good
enough.
Tough decisions have had to be made, and those guys are
going to go on and have great careers in their own right.
But I would say there’s a ton of focus, investment and
belief in what we need to be and where we’re going.
I’m going to rely on what I know, and there will be
absolutely no change to the character and the
characteristics of what I think it is to be — what’s necessary
in great coaches. That’s what we’re going to be able to
provide for our players. Guys are going to impact them not
only on the field and helping them grow and develop but
also help them develop into the men they’re going to be.
That’s going to be a key figure in that profile. Yes, the
on-the-field development, absolutely critical, but if they’re
not about their hearts, if they’re not about helping them in
their journey of life, probably not going to be somebody
that is going to go very far in that process.
Q. Obviously yesterday was an emotional day. If you
could share the reactions and emotions from the three
coaches that you let go.
MIKE NORVELL: You know, I’m not really going to go into
that. I love those guys, and every one of them I was five
plus years with. So it’s hard. I don’t go into it just like, hey,
I’m the CEO of the football program and this and that.
Those are family members to me. That’s what I pour in
and that’s what I’m going to continue to pour in. It makes
days like yesterday that much harder when you operate the
way we operate.
That’s what I said earlier, I have an obligation to them. I
made a very tough choice in that decision. But I also have
watched them for the last five years of what they’ve poured
in and how badly they want this program and these players
to be successful. So I’m going to bust my ass doing
everything I can do to make sure that I honor them with this
decision in what we continue to do for these players and
where this program goes because I will always hold dear
the work that they put in to get us to where we have been
but also just how they did it.
It was hard, but I’m not going to get — I don’t want to get
into specifics of all of it. But those are remarkable coaches
and men.
Q. As you noted, probably the realistic earliest time to
hire new coaches would be December 1st so you have
three weeks. What happens during those three weeks
leading up to that? Is it vetting of candidates?
Obviously you’re going to want to move quickly once
that window opens to make the hires.
MIKE NORVELL: Yeah, anytime there’s an in-season
decision with a unique early signing day that is the first
time we’re operating under this new schedule, there is work
that’s being done, and I will say that it is a benefit that we
have a bye week this week, to be honest with you.
I’ve always kept — since I started nine years ago being a
head coach, I’ve always had a list. Even when I was a
coordinator I used to do it. I always had a list of guys that,
hey, this is maybe somebody I’ve seen, somebody I know,
somebody that I’ve watched throughout their career and
respect. Does it fit us? Is it something, whether their
interest, their time, the fit for what we’re looking for? Just
like anything, there’s going to be people that just, because
of what we’ve done, who we are and where we’re at, that
are going to have interest in the opportunity, as well.
I’m having a very open mind. Like I said, there’s been — it’s
going to be a highly sought-after opportunity. When you
look at it, it should be. It should be attractive to potential
coaches, and for what this program and obviously both
sides of the ball and the opportunity to be around the kids
that we have, I’m excited because we’ve got a great group
of young talent and we’ve got obviously great potential to
be able to bounce back very quickly.
Yes, it will all be a part of — there will be a vetting process.
There will probably be some early conversations and just
making sure to see what all is real throughout this
experience, and then obviously we’ll work through that
journey as it progresses here over these next few weeks.
Q. Because Alex had a unique role as both
coordinator and offensive line coach, would your
candidates have to be an offensive line coach, as well?
MIKE NORVELL: No, like I said, I’m very open and
different potential roles, pieces, how all that can fit and
what it can look like. No, it doesn’t have to be in that role.
Still looking for the best of what we need. That’s kind of
how we’ll go through that decision-making process.
Q. You talked about what yesterday maybe meant to
the recruits and you talked to all the recruits. I’m not
saying you did this for the fans, but after what
happened Saturday night and 1-9, what do you think
what happened yesterday says to your fans about the
results on the field and how much they matter?
MIKE NORVELL: I mean, obviously everything we do, and
I love our fans and I love the people we represent being a
part of this program, past players, all. But I’ve got to do
what I feel is best, to the best of my ability in leading this
program and the decisions that I make. There’s going to
be a lot of emotions, and there’s going to be a lot of times
that our fan base might disagree with a decision that I
make, whatever that might be, in game, out of game,
personnel, who we recruit, who we go after, that’s all part
of it. The passion of that is what makes this place
wonderful.
But I would say that this year has been unacceptable, and
that’s from the job that we’ve done to how we’ve played.
There is a standard here at Florida State that when you
come here you embrace, and I will say it is part of this job
and for the players that choose to come here, I tell them all
the time, it’s not for everybody. You have to be an
absolute real one to be able to come in and understand the
expectation of what it needs to look like and what it has to
be. It’s not just what we do on the field but how we do it on
the field is all important, and we haven’t been good enough
this year.
It’s hard to make changes, but when change is necessary,
then you’ve got to be willing to change. That’s not anything
against guys that have been here. It’s not anything against
guys that are currently here, guys that are in that locker
room. But we need change. We need the best to show
up, and it has to look and feel and be a certain way
because the results matter.
We’re all accountable to it. We want more, and our fan
base and everybody around it, we all desire this program to
be what we know it’s capable of. We’ve seen them, the
flashes of it, and it hasn’t been too long ago since we’ve
had that.
But it’s going to be back, and it’s going to be back quickly,
and we’re going to work our butt off to make sure that’s our
reality in the very near future.
Q. When you were coordinator at Arizona State and
when you’ve hired coordinators, or when you were
one, how much do you want a coach on that side of
the ball that knows your system and how you operate?
MIKE NORVELL: The easy answer is yes, you always
want somebody that knows. I will evaluate all those things
as we get there with it.
I remember, I think, my first year as a coordinator at
Arizona State, I had every assistant that was on staff, I had
never worked with. There was not one that I had ever
been with, and they all had different backgrounds. Nobody
had ever been a part of tempo, and we were running a
tempo offense there at the time. It was really a unique
blend, and it worked.
Even with the players coming in, I remember I think we had
maybe three or four returning players from the previous
year. It was all new for everybody. But when you find
those like-minded individuals, regardless of their
background, regardless of who’s there, who’s not there,
what that is and what that has to be, it just has to be right.
You’ve got to be able to work together in making that, and
like I said, I’m open to all things as we move forward
because it still comes down to this being the best fit for
Florida State.
I’ve got a lot of confidence in the coaches that we have.
I’ve got a lot of confidence in the players that we have. But
at the end of the day, we’ve got to make it right. The
willingness to do the hard thing and the willingness to take
the steps and the accountability for all of us is a necessity.
We’ll keep an open door to all of it.
Q. How understanding was AD Alford when you went
to him and said you had to move off a pair of coaches
and an assistant that you guys had made significant
financial contributions to in the last year?
MIKE NORVELL: Yeah, our administration is remarkable.
Everybody has a job to do, and everybody has — they’re
tough decisions, but when you work with people that care
about people, he’s empathetic to all of it, as well, and he
knows that it’s a hard decision to make, especially after the
commitment to a staff. That was a well-earned and
well-deserved commitment there with what we had
accomplished, and in reality some of the things that we had
done here.
But like I said, he’s very supportive of us. He’s very
supportive of me, of the things that we need to do to
continue to push forward, and from AD Alford to the
president to the board of trustees, we’ve got a great group
here. I understand my responsibility, and I’ll say that, that
it’s just — we’re going to go get it right. Like I said, we’re
going to work our butts off to make sure we’re honoring the
commitment, the investment, to every fan that’s out there,
to every booster that has invested into our program.
I don’t take any of it for granted. I don’t take — it’s
heartbreaking to me when the product that we do, the
results that we have are not to the standard. This year, like
I said, we’ve not achieved anywhere near what expectation
or what we desire it to be.
We’re going to get it right, and I’ve got the support from the
administration. Obviously you can look out behind, and
you see the commitment to building facilities, to the
renovation of the stadium. All of it matters.
You look at what we’re doing in recruiting, obviously it’s
going to be a new age with the NIL and the component of
the revenue, I guess, distribution there with players. All of
that is going to tie in, and I feel very confident in the
support that we will get and continue to receive.
But yes, we’ve got a great AD and administration that help
support in even very difficult decisions.
Q. With Randy Shannon taking over defensive
coordinator responsibilities, how do you want the
defense to look different? I know you’re not going to
go into specifics, but broadly schematically what can
you do in season? What would you like him to do?
MIKE NORVELL: Having a bye week gives us a little bit of
time for — I want Randy to go run the defense, and I want
him to be able to put his emphasis to it and really for our
guys to be able to go out there and play fast, play
confident, to be free in playing within the calls of what we
need to do.
Will it look a little bit different? Yes, there will be some
differences. There will be some things that probably
mirror. Yeah, we’re 10 games into a season so it’s going to
be probably a healthy mix.
I had the opportunity to compete against Coach Shannon
there before we came here, and I’ve got a lot of respect for
his mind, how he attacks and calls games. I think he’ll
definitely do a great job with those players, and they’ll rally
behind it.
FastScripts by ASAP Sports
