Oct 5, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell during the second half against the Clemson Tigers at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images Melina Myers-Imagn Images

Anonymous ACC coach makes sense of Florida State's hiring of Gus Malzahn

Originally posted on Florida State Seminoles on SI
By Dustin Lewis | Last updated May 29, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Florida State made major moves to its coaching staff following a 2-10 season in 2024. Six months ago, the Seminoles brought on a flurry of new faces, including offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn.

Following 13 years as the head coach at Arkansas State, Auburn, and UCF, Malzahn came to Tallahassee to work under his former protégé, Mike Norvell. The two worked together at Tulsa in 2007-08 when Malzahn was co-offensive coordinator and Norvell was a graduate assistant.

Tulsa led the nation in total offense in 2007, averaging 543.9 yards and 41.1 points per game. The following year, the Golden Hurricane improved even further, averaging 569.5 yards and 47.2 points per game.

The Seminoles are looking to rekindle the Norvell-Malzahn connection starting in 2025. Florida State had one of the worst offenses in the country last fall and the turnaround begins with putting up 20+ points more than two times in 12 games.

So, how do other coaches around the ACC feel about FSU's acquisition of Malzahn? An unnamed coach in the conference believes the move came down to Norvell wanting more proven experience on his coaching staff.

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

Norvell certainly has a proven veteran he can lean on moving forward. Malzahn has been coaching for over three decades and 2025 will mark his 20th season at the college level.

In each of the last three years, Malzahn has produced a top-20 total offense and a top-10 rushing offense. That's a breath of fresh air for a Florida State team that averaged 89.9 yards per game and 2.9 yards per carry last season.

Malzahn's transition to offensive coordinator for the Seminoles will end up defining the rest of Norvell's tenure with the program.