All Huskers

Florida State Announces Hirings of Former Nebraska Coaches Tony White and Terrance Knighton

Less than a week after wrapping up the regular season, a pair of former Nebraska football coaches have been officially hired by Florida State.

Kaleb Henry

Nebraska defensive coordinator Tony White looks up at the scoreboard between plays during the second quarter against Rutgers.
Nebraska defensive coordinator Tony White looks up at the scoreboard between plays during the second quarter against Rutgers. / Kenny Larabee, KLIN
In this story:

Tony White and Terrance Knighton are officially Seminoles.

Florida State announced the hiring of White and Knighton Thursday. Both had been rumored to be off to Tallahassee from Lincoln all week.

"I'm excited to bring Tony White into the Nole Family in such an important role on our staff," Florida State head coach Mike Norvell said. "His aggressive, innovative defensive scheme provides opportunities for playmakers to shine and is extremely difficult on opposing offenses. Tony has a proven track record coordinating elite defenses against some of the best competition in the country, and I'm looking forward to his impact on our return to the Florida State standard."

White was rumored to be up for jobs last offseason, but ultimately took a pay raise to stay at Nebraska. Now, he's headed south.

"I'm excited about this opportunity to join Coach Norvell and the Florida State football program," White said. "Florida State is an elite institution both academically and athletically with a historic football program that has produced some of the best teams in the sport. My family and I are looking forward to being able to add to that tradition with Coach Norvell, a person and leader I respect for the success he's had and the way he does it."

James Williams celebrates the Nebraska defense's final stop of the game with defensive line coach Terrance Knighton.
James Williams celebrates the Nebraska defense's final stop of the 2024 Rutgers game with defensive line coach Terrance Knighton. / Amarillo Mullen

Joining White is the man who coached his defensive line for the past two seasons at NU. Knighton will take the same role with Florida State.

"Terrance Knighton is a rising star in the coaching profession," Norvell said. "He's earned success as a player and a coach, both in college and in the NFL. He knows what it takes to be an elite defensive lineman and to impact games as a defensive line group. He has first-hand experience as a top player, and as a coach Terrance has been part of developing one of the best defensive lines in the country. I'm looking forward to seeing how he helps our defensive line continue to uphold the Florida State standard."

"I want to thank Coach Norvell for this amazing opportunity," Knighton said. "I am humbled and honored. I'm excited to get to work and meet my new family, and I can't wait to coach these guys!"

Several defensive lineman have been among the Huskers set to hit the transfer portal this month. As Florida State looks to rebound from a disappointing 2-10 season, it would make sense for the Seminoles to add some familiar faces for the new defensive assistants.

MORE: Nebraska Football and Baseball Commit Conor Booth Wins Player of the Year Honor

MORE: I-80 Club: What Happens Now For Nebraska Football?

MORE: Nebraska Women's Basketball Forward Natalie Potts Shares Positive Message Following Surgery

MORE: Nebraska Football Defensive Lineman Ty Robinson Accepts Senior Bowl Bid

MORE: How to Watch Nebraska Wrestling in the Cliff Keen Invite: Breakdown, Preview, Streaming

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.

Published |Modified
Kaleb Henry
KALEB HENRY

Kaleb Henry is an award-winning sports reporter, covering collegiate athletics since 2014 via radio, podcasting, and digital journalism. His experience with Big Ten Conference teams goes back more than a decade, including time covering programs such as the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Oregon Ducks, and USC Trojans. He has contributed to Sports Illustrated since 2021. Kaleb has won multiple awards for his sports coverage from the Nebraska Broadcasters Association and Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association. Prior to working in sports journalism, Kaleb was a Division I athlete on the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Track and Field team where he discussed NCAA legislation as SIUE's representative to the Ohio Valley Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. 

Home/Football