FSU football’s head-coaching search: Candidate pros & cons, with updates

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Next?

Let’s attempt to corral this madness. The Seminoles are in the market for their next head football coach, and as is par for the social-media course, lunacy has ensued. So we’re here to inject a little perspective, in the form of disseminating which hires are actually viable for the ’Noles. We’ll update this piece as new information becomes available, but keep in mind that this list is neither exhaustive nor an endorsement.

Bob Stoops

This is FSU’s top choice. But despite what some want you to believe, nothing appears to have been finalized as of yet. As per usual, many without real information will hazard guesses, hoping they’re right so that they can later claim to have been first with the news. But the retired Stoops is an attractive option because he brings massive clout and experience, as a former national champion head coach with Oklahoma— and the fact that he doesn’t require a buyout only helps, even if the ’Noles will likely make it up in salary. However, Stoops hasn’t been the biggest fan of recruiting in the southeast.

Several national voices have been quite down on the possibility of Stoops taking over in Tallahassee, but early denial is often the name of the game when it comes to the extended courtship involved between big-name programs and top-tier coaches.

Mark Stoops

A former Seminole defensive coordinator (2010-2012), Mark is Bob’s younger brother and currently the head coach at Kentucky. In addition to experience in Tallahassee, he’s done a nice job resurrecting Wildcat football at a basketball school, but he’s far from the most inspiring target out there. Then again, his $1.75 million buyout is far from prohibitive, and FSU is far from drowning in cash.

James Franklin

Franklin’s name was bandied about when Florida State was last searching for a head coach, and his star is on the rise. The Penn State team he leads is 8-0 and 4th in the first College Football Playoff rankings. His $1 million buyout isn’t much, and he has head coaching experience in the southeast, having helmed the ship at Vanderbilt from 2011-2013. Competing against Clemson every year doesn’t sound like much of a draw— but Franklin is a great recruiter, and the Big Ten East is no slouch either. Still, would he want to leave Happy Valley, given what he’s built with the Nittany Lions?

Mike Norvell

Norvell’s was another name mentioned the last time FSU sought a new boss. The Memphis head coach has limited head coaching experience, having been in charge of the Tigers since just 2016, but his 8-1 team boasts a top-10 SP+ offense. With a buyout of only $500,000, the price is right. And he’s only 38.

P.J. Fleck

After a year coaching receivers for the Tampa Bay Bucs, Fleck debuted as a head coach with Western Michigan prior to taking over at Minnesota in 2017. The Golden Gophers are 8-0 (an inflated record against the Big Ten Coastal — er, West). Still, they have a top-25 offense and defense, per SP+ rankings, which is adjusted for opponents. But Fleck just agreed to a big extension in Minneapolis, and the buyout of $4 million is pricey, especially for a guy with no college coaching experience of any kind south of the Mason-Dixon line.

Matt Campbell

Winning at Iowa State isn’t easy, but Campbell has shown that it’s more than possible, having captured Big 12 Coach of the Year honors for the last two seasons. Like Fleck, he’s another midwesterner, and also like Fleck, his buyout is high: north of $6 million. It’s a matter of time before Campbell bolts Ames— could that time be now?

Gus Malzahn

Now Auburn’s head coach, Malzahn was the OC for the Tigers or War Eagles or Peace Lillies or whatever when they won the national title in 2010. All he needed was a future No. 1 pick QB— so he’s basically Jimbo Fisher. Kidding. But Malzahn is the guy they love to hate on the Plains, so if he wants a change of scenery, he could inherit the same role in Tallahassee.

Odell Haggins

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Florida State’s interim head coach for the second time in three years, Haggins’ loyalty to the program is unquestionable. He’s an exceptional recruiter, but would this be a longterm move for the future, or a temporary, feel-good fix? Haggins is also the only guy on this list without any extended head-coaching experience— are the Seminoles in a position to let him learn on the job?

Again, there are more candidates out there. And while some are more likely hires than others, we find these to be plausible — if not probable — options. We’re not here to waste your time, which is why we present the following most recent “possibility” without comment.

NFL Network analyst and Hall of Famer Deion Sanders has emerged as a candidate for the Florida St. head coaching job, sources tell me and @MikeGarafolo. A fascinating situation that could unfold.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 8, 2019