The college football coaching carousel has started spinning over the past few weeks, and after some embarrassing and bad losses on Saturday, it was only a matter of time before the firing spree resumed. The name that everyone has been watching over the past few seasons has been Florida State head coach Mike Norvell who’s struggled ever since the team was snubbed from making the College Football Playoff.
After it seemed like the Seminoles may end up hanging onto Norvell for 2027 given how big his buyout was, Florida State’s public statement prior to the game seemed to be bad news for Norvell. On Sunday Afternoon, after the loss to Clemson, the Seminoles finally pulled the plug, firing their head coach.
Oregon has been no stranger to the coaching chaos this season, as a week ago Dan Lanning made the decision to fire offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer. With Mike Norvell looking for a new job, and Dan Lanning looking for an offensive coordinator, a pairing may be possible.
Florida State’s decision to fire Mike Norvell may clear up Oregon’s OC search
While interim playcaller Jay Johnson made quite the first impression in the Ducks’ win over Northwestern, it still seems like Dan Lanning will evaluate all options in the offseason. Among the many options the Ducks should consider is hiring Mike Norvell as the next offensive coordinator.
Mike Norvell could be a candidate for plenty of Group of 6 head coaching gigs, but if he’s interested in taking a step back and rebuilding his status, joining Oregon makes a ton of sense.
For starters, Mike Norvell and Dan Lanning have worked together as Norvell gave the Ducks head coach his first full-time assistant gig when he hired him as Memphis’ inside linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator.
While Florida State’s offenses haven’t been perfect over the past few years, taking a step back to focus on calling plays could return Norvell to being one of the best offensive minds in the sport. Florida State’s biggest issue has been taking bad quarterback risks in the Transfer Portal, but with Oregon’s resources he’d be shopping at a different level.
Another factor in hiring a former head coach like Mike Norvell is the fact that he can bring some players with him. The Ducks could get a head start with some transfer targets from Norvell’s roster if the staff likes any of the players on the roster. The downside on that end is the fact that Florida State doesn’t have great quarterback options to help solve Oregon’s questions if Dante Moore declares for the NFL Draft.
Dan Lanning is going to have plenty of options to explore this offseason, and the good news is that this should be the most attractive offensive coordinator opening. The Ducks offseason is going to swing on who Lanning picks to fill the role, and the more options that are made available the better as it frees Lanning up to go several different ways.
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