TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida State is searching for a new head football coach after Mike Norvell was dismissed, setting off immediate speculation across Tallahassee about who could be next to lead the Seminoles.
Ross Brannon, who played offensive tackle for Florida State’s 1999 national championship team, said the job requires a “special leader of men” and shared several names he said he has been hearing discussed.
“The names that I’m hearing are guys like Manny Diaz, who was the Head coach at Duke, He was actually a graduate assistant at FSU when I was playing, and I know him and he’s had some success,” Brannon said. “There’s other teammates of mine who are coaching., and you hear about Jake Dickard at Wake Forest that’s an intriguing name. There’s all sorts of lists and hot boards out there, some people are saying Brian Kelly.”
Brannon also noted the program’s limited coaching history. Florida State has had 13 head coaches and two interim head coaches in its history.
Luke Fedlam, identified as a corporate and sports law attorney, said the next hire will need to handle more than football strategy.
“You have got a rich tradition at Florida State, you’ve got a great athletic department at Florida State and so finding the right coach is finding that coach that can navigate not just the X and O’s but also the business of sports that’s happening,” Fedlam said.
Among the names circulating, Brannon said re-hiring Jimbo Fisher remains a frequent and divisive topic in Tallahassee.
“I think Jimbo Fisher and the Florida State head coaching job is about one of the most polarizing topics in Tallahassee,” Brannon said. “You have some people who think he is the savior and some people who wish he would never show his face again in Tallahassee, so it’s a pretty continuous argument there and that’s a fun conversation with people who are pretty passionate about that.”
Florida State, led by interim coach Rick Stock-still, is scheduled to play on the road Saturday at Boston College.