TAMPA BAY, Fla. _ Memphis' Mike Norvell has agreed to become Florida State's next football coach, according to multiple reports Saturday evening. The Seminoles have not officially announced the move but will introduce him at a noon press conference Sunday, ending a search that spanned almost five weeks.
The 38-year-old Texan will try to do what his predecessor, Willie Taggart, could not: Make the jump from established Group of Five coach to championship-contending Power Five coach.
Norvell was 38-15 in his four years with the Tigers. He won three consecutive AAC West Division titles and finished his career there by beating Cincinnati on Saturday to win the conference championship.
Norvell inherited a good situation at Memphis from Justin Fuente (who left for Virginia Tech) and made it better. The Tigers have won at least 10 games only three times in program history; two have been under Norvell.
His Tigers entered Saturday No. 16 in the AP Top 25 and No. 13 in the SP+ advanced metrics. Memphis finished in the top 50 in SP+ in each of his three previous seasons as a head coach, too.
Before taking over Memphis, Norvell spent time as an assistant at Arizona State, Pitt and Tulsa. As a receiver, he still ranks in the top five in Central Arkansas history in career yards and catches.
His offenses have a history of success. Memphis has fielded top-eight scoring offenses each of the last three years, in three different ways.
In 2017, Memphis had the nation's No. 7 passing attack thanks in part to receiver Anthony Miller (now with the NFL's Chicago Bears). The next year, Norvell used standout running back Darrell Henderson to create the fourth-best rushing offense in the country.
This season was more balanced. Quarterback Brady White entered the weekend with the nation's seventh-best passing efficiency (177.69), and only two players in the country had more explosive plays of at least 20 yards than freshman running back Kenneth Gainwell.
Norvell also has an impressive coaching tree that suggest he'll be able to create a formidable staff. Five of his former assistants are now coordinators at Power Five programs, including Georgia defensive coordinator Dan Lanning and Notre Dame offensive coordinator Chip Long.
The job Norvell inherits has sky-high potential. The Seminoles have won three national titles and have historically been an ACC heavyweight. Five years ago at this time, they were the defending national champions headed to the College Football Playoff and in the middle of a 29-game winning streak.
But this won't be a realignment, as Taggart infamously promised two years ago. This is a rebuilding job at a program that went 9-12 under Taggart before his midseason firing last month.
FSU has had back-to-back subpar recruiting classes. Without a significant influx of talent from the transfer portal, the 2020 roster could be one of the Seminoles' worst of the Rivals era. The offensive line has struggled for years, which is one reason why FSU will finish out its 6-6 season at a mediocre bowl game.
Norvell was FSU's best option after several big-name options dropped out of the mix. Former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops was the Seminoles' early top target, but he did not leave his job as the head coach/general manager of the XFL's Dallas Renegades. Two other potential candidates, Iowa State's Matt Campbell and Penn State's James Franklin, both landed new contracts in the last few days.
