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Florida State Football may be on the way back. Coach Mike Norvell seems to be having the program in the right direction after over a half-decade of lean years.
It’s a place where, quite frankly, it’s harder to be bad than good. It’s got great tradition, great facilities, a large fan base, an easy schedule, and access to awesome talent in Florida.
But, it had taken a while to get back to a good level. The program hadn’t won more than seven games since Jimbo Fisher’s last full year in Tallahassee in 2016. Mind you, this is a program that finished in the AP top five for fourteen straight seasons from 1987-2000.
This year was a step towards returning to those great years. Florida State went 10-3 and beat Oklahoma in the Cheez-It Bowl. Their only three losses were close games to Clemson, NC State and Wake Forest. Quarterback Jordan Travis had a fantastic season, throwing for 24 touchdowns against just 5 interceptions and had 3600 total yards. He’s coming back next year, too, as is projected first-round edge rusher Jared Verse, and Florida State is even getting some preseason top-ten hype for next season.
But, they had a coaching opening after defensive backs coach Marcus Woodson went to Arkansas to be the Razorbacks’ defensive coordinator. And, they’ve filled it in a big way, with former All-Pro corner Patrick Surtain coming to town.
Source: Florida State is set to hire Patrick Surtain as the school’s new secondary coach. He’s an 11-year NFL vet, three-time Pro Bowler and won 3 state titles at American Heritage from 2016-21 in south Florida. He spent last year as a defensive assistant with the Dolphins.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 11, 2023
His son is now starring for the Denver Broncos, but Surtain was elite in the 2000s for the Miami Dolphins and was one of the league’s best cover corners. He’s been a really successful high school coach at one of the nation’s best programs, American Heritage. Now, he will help Florida State try to take the next step and rejoin the college football playoff.