Mike Norvell listed as a head coach that is 'Slipping Away' by ESPN

ESPN college football reporter Adam Rittenberg described Norvell as "gifted" but losing control of the program's previous momentum.

Sep 28, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell looks on during the second quarter against the Southern Methodist Mustangs at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Florida State University football program has been in three different realms of success since head coach Mike Norvell took over in December 2019: good, bad, and ugly.

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The first two seasons demonstrated expected losing seasons with necessary improvement. In the next two seasons, fans witnessed one of the more impressive turnarounds that college football had ever seen, employing the transfer portal in ways that other programs began to emulate.

The 2-10 campaign during the 2024 season demands a Ph.D dissertation.

In the latest article from ESPN's Adam Rittenberg, the college football reporter acknowledges the rollercoaster ride that has been Mike Norvell's tenure in Tallahassee.

His piece places notable college football coaches into tiers of likelihood to win their first national title now that there are only three active ones to do so (Kirby Smart, Dabo Swinney, Ryan Day). The three tiers are "The Close Ones," "Wild Cards," and "Slipping Away." Norvell was placed in the last category.

Rittenberg began by acknowledging that FSU was "snubbed" from the 2024 College Football Playoff (CFP), but failed to capitalize on the successes of the 2023 season.

"Florida State fell victim to by far the biggest snub in CFP history, left out of the field in 2023 despite an undefeated regular season capped by an ACC championship. But the season was still a major step forward, and instead of rebooting for another playoff push, Florida State fell apart in 2024, going 2-10 with just one win against an FBS opponent. The program's overreliance on the portal became exposed, as did some deficient position groups that lacked depth and development."

- Adam Rittenberg, ESPN CFB Reporter

The ESPN journalist continued, describing Norvell as "gifted" but still a long way away from reaching the mountaintop after the 2-10 season, both from a momentum and personnel lens.

"Norvell is a gifted coach, but it's very difficult to climb out of the position Florida State finds itself in, especially without a demonstrated ability to recruit at an elite level. FSU is still committed to winning and Norvell brought in two notable coordinators in Gus Malzahn (offense) and Tony White (defense). The ACC isn't as treacherous as the Big Ten or SEC but Clemson is seemingly on track again, SMU made the CFP and a few other programs are ahead of FSU from a personnel standpoint."

- Adam Rittenberg, ESPN CFB Reporter

The Seminoles begin their 2025 campaign against the Alabama Crimson Tide in Doak Campbell Stadium on Aug. 30.

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