There is no doubt the head coach should be fired. As I write this they have lost to a FCS team, are currently losing against Wake Forest, will lose our recruiting class and may not win five games this year thus missing a bowl game. He is not qualified to coach at this level as Willie Taggert was not. He has made just stupid head scratching decisions, hired his unqualified friends like Fuller in important positions where the results have been an unmitigated disaster and not having the team mentally prepared to play against inferior opponents. The players are undisciplined and mentally weak. His record is indefensible at 3-10.
And yet, WE MUST KEEP HIM? Yes, just like we should have keep Taggert for the same reason. Stability. We cannot keeping churning head coaches. We cannot keep churning staff not unless a coach is HORRIBLE like Fuller. As much as I do not like Dillingham you have to keep him to keep offensive continuity.
Basically, FSU has players and will continue to get players because they have the facilities, history, name cache location in fertile recruiting grounds. If we want to compete with the top programs we have to win and that is only possible with hiring good staff that knows how to scout and develop talent because we dont have the money that the top programs have. We have the players to win, what we dont have is the coaching.
But there is a plan to deal with this fiasco that we call Florida State football. Here it is:
1) Extend Atkins which they have done. This guy should be our next head coach to be quite honest. If we hire Atkins as head coach, we will NEVER have a horrible line again. FSU will always be able to get skill players, its the trenches that is holding FSU back along with the horrible staff.
2) Extend Storms
3) Keep Norvell to stabilize the program. Let him get some players in so Storms can develop them for the next coach. No decent player wants to play for a unstable program that changes head coaches like clothes. That said, you must fire him because he isn't qualified to be a Power Five coach. He just isn't. Lets put aside the stupid decision making in games or even his inexcusable failure to get the team ready for Jacksonville State. Let's look at how he has handle the QBs. Why in the world would you start a guy that is coming off a horrific surgery behind a terrible OL who hasnt played in FOUR YEARS over a guy that is mobile, knows the playbook better and improved as a passer????? Starting Milton is just as stupid as Taggarts decision to start Francois over Blackman when thr team played harder for Blackman. That decision destroyed Blackman and rightfully cost him his job. Starting Milton against Jacksonville State deserves the same result. The best way to execute the needed coaching change is to fire him after the fourth year and buy him out when its cheaper. You then hire Deion Saunders or promote Alex Atkins to head coach in order to save money if youre not sure that Deion is ready. I would promote Atkins to Associate head coach to let him know he is in consideration for coach once Norvell is fired.
4) Fire Fuller after this season but hire a Power Five secondary coach to coach the defense from back to front. The secondary is lost every game and its because the scheme isn't being taught properly. In addition, Fuller cannot gameplan and nor does he make smart in game adjustments. His players have talent but no belief in his system nor him and you can tell by the disjointed play. His decision not to play prevent defense againdt Jacksonville State was inexcusable and is just more reason to move on from him. He is quite simply: UNQUALIFIED
5) Fire Marve. He really can't recruit and we need TALENT at that position. The LBs have played better simply because they know their jobs better and are physically better due to Storms.
6) Keep Dillingham. I dont want to but after you fire Fuller you want the new coach to have something to lean on. There is a glimmer of hope for Dillingham as opposed none for Fuller. Travis will be a senior when you fire Fuller and you will have developed upperclassmen on the line by the time you bring a new head coach. If Dillingham improves the offense then he might be able to stay long enough to exited gracefully while giving FSU a good transition period that won't Randle prospective recruits.
7) REBUILD THE OL. We have to be able to run the ball and keep a young but improving defense off the field. We cant pass protect obvious situations. THIS is the reason you give Atkins whatever he wants and promote him to coach.
8) Keep Dugans and Haggins: both are good recruiters and the performance of the WRs is more of a function of a depleted roster stemming a lack of stability in the program. Same with the DL. No good players want to play for an unstable program no matter how good the coaches may be. You can say and do all the right things a good recruiter can do but the fact is FSU is seen as an unstable program with a bad culture. Firing two of the best recruiters at FSU doesn't change that. Only time and a gradual climb of success does.
There you have it. This is where we are. We will win about four games this year ( which given the mental state of the team and the horrible head coach is pushing it) and probably only six at the max next year. The ONLY reason to keep Norvell is stability of the program and that was the reason to keep Taggart so you wouldn't have an extended dormat phase.
Enjoy the next two years people and remember we have basketball!!!
And yet, WE MUST KEEP HIM? Yes, just like we should have keep Taggert for the same reason. Stability. We cannot keeping churning head coaches. We cannot keep churning staff not unless a coach is HORRIBLE like Fuller. As much as I do not like Dillingham you have to keep him to keep offensive continuity.
Basically, FSU has players and will continue to get players because they have the facilities, history, name cache location in fertile recruiting grounds. If we want to compete with the top programs we have to win and that is only possible with hiring good staff that knows how to scout and develop talent because we dont have the money that the top programs have. We have the players to win, what we dont have is the coaching.
But there is a plan to deal with this fiasco that we call Florida State football. Here it is:
1) Extend Atkins which they have done. This guy should be our next head coach to be quite honest. If we hire Atkins as head coach, we will NEVER have a horrible line again. FSU will always be able to get skill players, its the trenches that is holding FSU back along with the horrible staff.
2) Extend Storms
3) Keep Norvell to stabilize the program. Let him get some players in so Storms can develop them for the next coach. No decent player wants to play for a unstable program that changes head coaches like clothes. That said, you must fire him because he isn't qualified to be a Power Five coach. He just isn't. Lets put aside the stupid decision making in games or even his inexcusable failure to get the team ready for Jacksonville State. Let's look at how he has handle the QBs. Why in the world would you start a guy that is coming off a horrific surgery behind a terrible OL who hasnt played in FOUR YEARS over a guy that is mobile, knows the playbook better and improved as a passer????? Starting Milton is just as stupid as Taggarts decision to start Francois over Blackman when thr team played harder for Blackman. That decision destroyed Blackman and rightfully cost him his job. Starting Milton against Jacksonville State deserves the same result. The best way to execute the needed coaching change is to fire him after the fourth year and buy him out when its cheaper. You then hire Deion Saunders or promote Alex Atkins to head coach in order to save money if youre not sure that Deion is ready. I would promote Atkins to Associate head coach to let him know he is in consideration for coach once Norvell is fired.
4) Fire Fuller after this season but hire a Power Five secondary coach to coach the defense from back to front. The secondary is lost every game and its because the scheme isn't being taught properly. In addition, Fuller cannot gameplan and nor does he make smart in game adjustments. His players have talent but no belief in his system nor him and you can tell by the disjointed play. His decision not to play prevent defense againdt Jacksonville State was inexcusable and is just more reason to move on from him. He is quite simply: UNQUALIFIED
5) Fire Marve. He really can't recruit and we need TALENT at that position. The LBs have played better simply because they know their jobs better and are physically better due to Storms.
6) Keep Dillingham. I dont want to but after you fire Fuller you want the new coach to have something to lean on. There is a glimmer of hope for Dillingham as opposed none for Fuller. Travis will be a senior when you fire Fuller and you will have developed upperclassmen on the line by the time you bring a new head coach. If Dillingham improves the offense then he might be able to stay long enough to exited gracefully while giving FSU a good transition period that won't Randle prospective recruits.
7) REBUILD THE OL. We have to be able to run the ball and keep a young but improving defense off the field. We cant pass protect obvious situations. THIS is the reason you give Atkins whatever he wants and promote him to coach.
8) Keep Dugans and Haggins: both are good recruiters and the performance of the WRs is more of a function of a depleted roster stemming a lack of stability in the program. Same with the DL. No good players want to play for an unstable program no matter how good the coaches may be. You can say and do all the right things a good recruiter can do but the fact is FSU is seen as an unstable program with a bad culture. Firing two of the best recruiters at FSU doesn't change that. Only time and a gradual climb of success does.
There you have it. This is where we are. We will win about four games this year ( which given the mental state of the team and the horrible head coach is pushing it) and probably only six at the max next year. The ONLY reason to keep Norvell is stability of the program and that was the reason to keep Taggart so you wouldn't have an extended dormat phase.
Enjoy the next two years people and remember we have basketball!!!
