Florida State football head coach Mike Norvell has been awarded the Bear Bryant Coach of the Year trophy, per Brett McMurphy at Action Network. Norvell led the Seminoles to an undefeated 13-0 regular season, with an Orange Bowl appearance as the No. 5 seed. Other finalists for the award were Washington's Kalen DeBoer, Alabama's Nick Saban, Missuori's Eliah Drinkwitz, Texas' Steve Sarkisian, and Liberty's Jamey Chadwell.
Norvell has helped the Noles improve year by year, increasing his win total every season he's been with the program. While 2023 seemed to be the year Florida State football would get back to the College Football Playoff, the Seminoles were snubbed of their chances to compete. The injury to starting quarterback Jordan Travis weighed heavy on FSU's play to finish the season, but Norvell was able to lead his team to an ACC Championship with multiple backup quarterbacks participating, including true freshman Brock Glenn.
The Seminoles had one of the best seasons in program history, winning their fifth ACC title, with a record-breaking 25 All-ACC selections. Their defense led the nation in opponent's completion percentage, pass breakups, and passes defended, ranked as the No. 6 team in terms of sacks and third down defense. FSU's offense was the ACC's leader in yards per completion, fewest interceptions, and fewest total turnovers, having one of the most explosive scoring lineups when Travis was on the gridiron.
With Norvell leading the way, the tide is changing in Tallahassee. The national credit is phenomenal in showing what the program was able to do with one of the deepest teams in the country. Florida State football is back, and Norvell should take a lot of credit for that being the case.