Mike Norvell: 'We have a high standard here'

The Florida State Seminoles are coming off a disastrous 2024 season, only winning two games. That doesn’t reach the standard of many college football programs, but head coach Mike Norvell knows it’s way off the standard that the Seminoles have for their program.

Fall Camp is now underway around the country. Norvell knows that his team is preparing for a massive season where they need to bounce back and prove that last season was a blip on the radar and that he can reach the high standard that Florida State has for itself.

“Obviously, we have a high standard here,” Mike Norvell said. “We all have to uphold that. We ask a lot of our players, we ask a lot of our coaches. I ask a lot out of myself. If I’m not willing to be able to address all things that I get to see and impact to make sure that we’re upholding that, then, obviously, I’m not doing my job.”

This offseason, Norvell made several changes at Florida State to address 2024’s two-win season. That included bringing in Gus Malzahn as his new offensive coordinator and Tony White as defensive coordinator. The Seminoles also hit the Transfer Portal once again, landing Thomas Castellanos as the team’s next starting quarterback.

“So, I’ve got to do a great job for the coaches to make sure that I’m there to help support them in the things that we ask them to do. But I’ve got a great group of guys,” Norvell said. “And just trying to make sure that across the board, that we’re all pushing together and accomplishing the things that we were trying to set out for on a daily basis. But I think our coaches have done a really, really nice job throughout Fall Camp.”

The high standard that Florida State has for itself is something that Mike Norvell has been able to live up to in the past. In 2023, the Seminoles went unbeaten in the regular season and won the ACC, only missing the College Football Playoff by a controversial decision. That, at the time, made for two straight double-digit win seasons. Now, Norvell and the Seminoles want to get back to that kind of success.

Mike Norvell admits 2024 Florida State had ‘forced team building’

The 2024 season was a disaster that made Mike Norvell step back and rethink things at Florida State. With that came changes, like forcing team building.

“Ironically, probably a year ago we did forced team building. There was a reason. And this year, I don’t think we’ve had to as much. But we still had opportunities to be able to have connection and for guys to enjoy the process and who they’re getting to do it with. Last week, we split up offense and defense and they came over to the house and we just got to be around them. We just got to see their interactions, and it was a great couple of nights that we got to share together,” Norvell said.

“For me to sit back and see how comfortable our football is together (you see it on the field and in workouts), but this team genuinely enjoys who they’re getting to do it with. And that allows for a heightened sense of work, investment, care, and passion for all of what’s making up this team. That gets me excited.”

Florida State is going to be thrown into the fire right away in 2025. The Seminoles open the season by hosting the Alabama Crimson Tide. So, Norvell can hold the Seminoles to that high standard right away.