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Anonymous ACC coach believes Florida State hiring Gus Malzahn was about culture

FaceProfileby: Thomas Goldkamp05/28/25
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New Florida State offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn speaks to the media at his introductory press conference.

Florida State had one of the strangest 2024 seasons, coming on the heels of an ACC title and an undefeated regular season in 2023. The Seminoles took a huge step back, then went out and hired Gus Malzahn to help turn things around.

The former Auburn coach figures to bring his brand of offense to Florida State. Or, at the very least, he’ll put his own spin on things for Mike Norvell‘s outfit.

One anonymous ACC coach told Athlon Sports that he believes Gus Malzahn’s hire is about more than just Xs and Os. That’s enough to raise some eyebrows.

“Gus [Malzahn] is going to take it back to basics and do a lot of run-game at first,” the coach reportedly said. “His hire was way more about culture and having the veteran in the room than it was about a particular kind of scheme.”

That Malzahn could be a big boon to the culture at Florida State comes as no surprise. He’s had positive impacts just about everywhere he’s been.

He’ll be paid handsomely to help Florida State turn things around. The Seminoles have plenty of talent on the roster still, so seeing what Malzahn can squeeze out of the group will be fascinating going forward.

Norvell’s excitement upon landing Malzahn after the 2024 season said a lot, too. He raved about the hire.

“I’m extremely excited to have Gus Malzahn join our staff at Florida State,” Norvell said. “He has one of the most innovative minds in college football and a proven track record of developing elite offenses everywhere he’s been. His offenses have consistently showcased a tremendous running game combined with explosive plays through the air. I’m thrilled to work side-by-side with Gus again as we elevate the Florida State offense back to one of the elite groups in college football.”

Gus Malzahn previously served as the head coach of both Auburn and most recently UCF.

He took over the Knights program in 2021 and found quick success. The Knights finished with nine wins in each of his first two seasons before making the leap to the Big 12, and they went 6-7 in the first year after the move. However, UCF struggled this year with a 4-8 record, leading to questions about Malzahn’s future in Orlando.

On3’s Barkley Truax also contributed to this report.