'He's absolutely crazy': Inside Mike Norvell's rebuild of Florida State football
Gene Deckerhoff had an intuition about Mike Norvell.
The former voice of Florida State football (1979 to 2022) said he saw something great in the now fourth-year Seminoles head coach.
That was before Norvell coached an FSU game and before he spoke to the media for his introductory press conference Dec. 8, 2019, at the Dunlap Champions Club.
Deckerhoff saw a similarity between Norvell and legendary FSU head coach Bobby Bowden.
“When I first met coach Norvell, he reminded me an awful lot of younger Bobby,” Deckerhoff told the Democrat. “He talked very fast. He was full of energy and he's an offensive-minded coach, about the same size as the same height as Bobby. I'll make that comparison. I mean, that was my impression.
“His first press conference was like Bobby. Bobby, says we're going turn this program around. We’re going to beat the Gators.”
Like Bowden, Norvell has successfully turned around an FSU program that was mired in a bad spell. And, much to the delight of The Seminole Nation, Norvell beat the Florida Gators last season to snap a three-game losing streak against FSU's rival.
No. 8 FSU looks to build on the momentum built by Norvell as it opens the season against No. 5 LSU Sunday at Orlando's Camping World Stadium. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. on ABC.
“Real far. It’s just the opposite,” redshirt sophomore Shyheim Brown said of how far the program has come since he enrolled at FSU in 2021. “When I first got here, you could tell stuff needed to be changed.
“Coach Norvell has done a good job of doing that with the players he’s brought in. He put a huge emphasis on the role of us to make sure the newcomers get ready for our standard here.
“What you’re going to see [in 2023] is going to be special.”
It is the highest preseason ranking for the Seminoles since 2017 under Jimbo Fisher, who led the program to its third and last national title in 2013.
For Norvell, his “C.L.I.M.B” acronym stands for "Commitment, Little things, Intensity, Mental toughness and Brotherhood" and has been the central figure of his program rebuild.
FSU leadership has also displayed its commitment to Norvell, 41, who signed a contract extension last February with the school through the 2029 season. Norvell, who earned $4.5 million last year, will earn an average of $8.05 million per year with the new agreement.
“He's the right guy to lead his program. He fits the culture of the university, that community and he's doing it the right way,” FSU Vice President and Director of Athletics Michael Alford told the Democrat.
“I firmly believe in the success of where the program's going.”
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Can FSU football history repeat itself under Mike Norvell?
FSU football was raised to national prominence during the Bowden era.
And Norvell is trying to repeat history.
Bowden took over an FSU program in 1976 that had gone 4-29 in the previous three seasons. Bowden went 5-6 in his first year, which, remarkably, was his only losing season at FSU in 34 years that were punctuated by two national championships. (Bowden, whose 377 career wins rank second all-time in major college football history, died in August 2021 in Tallahassee at the age of 91).
Norvell took over an FSU program that went 14-20 over three seasons. But Deckerhoff argues Norvell's first year (3-6) should not count since 2020 was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic that canceled games and shortened the season.
"You take that first year away because he was blindsided by COVID," Deckerhoff said. "So the second season should be 2021 and he won 10 games just like Bobby did in Year 2. There are a lot of parallels between coach Mike Norvell and what I saw in coach Bobby Bowden. I feel strongly about the passion that Mike Norvell has for being the head Seminole.
"I think great things are on the horizon for this football.”
The Democrat spoke to former players under Norvell to understand how he rebuilt the FSU program in three years, with more success pointed ahead.
“I'll forever be in debt to Florida State for that amazing opportunity and Coach Norvell for that amazing opportunity and to see where the program is and where it's headed,” New York Jets and former FSU star (2021) Jermaine Johnson told the Democrat.
“Florida State will always be in my heart just makes me happy because I mean the amount of things that Florida State and Coach Norvell did for me that isn't talked about and isn't in the news. Just this the details every day kind of holding me accountable to be a good leader, I'm forever indebted to them.”
More: Florida State football: Culture under Mike Norvell molded successful season, Cheez-It Bowl win
"CLIMBing"
Norvell has preached about returning FSU to the national conversation and winning championships since his arrival from Memphis.
He has put his words into action.
Following last year's first 10-win season since 2016 and Cheez-It Bowl win over Oklahoma, FSU is considered a College Playoff Contender in 2023. The Seminoles have the most returning production of any FBS team, according to ESPN.
However, there have been hurdles along the way.
Following FSU's 0-4 start to Year 2, which included a 20-17 loss to FCS Jacksonville State, fans and media alike questioned whether Norvell could reverse the program's downward spiral. The Seminoles had suffered three straight losing seasons entering 2021.
Every move, every step Norvell made following the loss to the Gamecocks, however, has been made with conviction. Despite the concerns, Norvell never wavered from The ‘C.L.I.M.B.’
The acronym is something former FSU defensive lineman (2017-22) Leonard Warner said was not taken very seriously when the players heard it.
“When he got there, I thought the ‘CLIMB’ was a little corny,” Warner told the Democrat. “Every coach has a philosophy. I never had a coach who coached through the acronym like that. But the way that he ingrains it into everything.
“It started off as joking to each other like ‘keep CLIMBing’ and then it got serious, we took it seriously. After a while, we started to learn that the message behind it is something real and it's something that is beyond football.
“... So I think we just started to realize that the acronym makes sense and it was effective.”
While the acronym has worked for football, Norvell tweets the “CLIMB” when he sees success among other FSU programs.
"'CLIMB,' I mean, we've pretty much heard that from day one," former player (2019-22) Wyatt Rector told the Democrat. "As soon as he came in, he was like, 'Listen, this is the standard, this is exactly what we're going to live up to.' Because we still had a little bit of that Taggart culture, lackadaisical at times.
"He basically set the tone from day one and said, 'Listen, this is what we're going do. We're going to CLIMB. We're going to do the little things right. We're going to be a brotherhood and we're going to love each other at the end. That's what he preached all the time.
Warner was at FSU in 2020 when Norvell arrived. He had been recruited and signed by Fisher and also played for nearly two seasons under Willie Taggart, fired in November 2021 after 21 games. Rector played one season under Taggart and three years for Norvell.
Johnson, who transferred to FSU from Georgia for one season, said he immediately bought into the ‘CLIMB.’ He transferred to the Seminoles following Norvell's first season in 2020.
Johnson saw Norvell's vision even before the results started falling the Seminoles' way. Johnson parlayed his success into a first-round 2022 NFL Draft selection by the Jets.
“I was so captivated by it, like I said having a lasting impression on me,” Johnson said. “I was just making sure I was talking to everybody making sure I was being a good leader by example, on the field, off the field.
“So I know if we wanted to make the climb we wanted to, we had to set a good example for the guys around me.”
Warner, iPads and Jimbo Fisher?
When Norvell arrived at FSU, he made an unpopular change to Warner.
The players had iPads to watch film and were with the players at all times. However, they could also utilize the devices for numerous online applications outside of football.
Norvell decided players could only watch film on the iPads and were returned to coaches when finished.
Warner did not take kindly to that new rule. He was upset. He was young.
He was also playing under his third coach in his FSU tenure, so it was probably easy to see Warner's confusion during his exchange with Norvell during a team meeting.
Warner: “How are you just going to take away our iPads?“
Norvell: “Who do the iPads belong to?”
Warner: “Jimbo, my coach gave those to me.”
The room got silent.
Everyone's attention turned to Warner.
Norvell told Warner the iPads were school property, but the seniors would permitted to keep them after they graduated.
“I didn’t realize how disrespectful I was being,” Warner said. “That showed us he meant business and he was doing all the things that were supposed to be working for our good. He was going to do everything he could to make sure that we were using them in the right way.”
The little things matter for 'crazy' Mike Norvell
A single moment stood out for Rector when it comes to Norvell.
Rector remembered two years ago when the team took their its annual trip to Jacksonville for a pair of preseason practices at the University of North Florida.
Norvell has told the media the trip is a chance for players who don't normally interact to have a chance to get to know one another in a setting away from school and their comfort zones.
Following a full day of practice, the team had a bonding opportunity at TopGolf. The group of nearly 200 people - players, staff and personnel - were split into different lanes at the driving range.
Norvell again showed he was not just all talk.
"He literally came to every single lane and hit golf balls with us," Rector said. "He made sure to talk to every single person on the team. Whether you barely played any snaps or if you were the superstar, he did not care.
"I'm telling you right now to many people, that doesn't seem like a big deal to people, but that was a huge confidence booster to just everybody. It makes you want to play for the guy."
Rector can speak to how Norvell treats walk-ons as well as anyone. He was a walk-on quarterback on the FSU roster when Norvell arrived.
But it did not take Rector long to earn a scholarship. Norvell gave him an opportunity to earn it, albeit at a new position at tight end, in the spring of 2020.
"He pulled me into his office, and honestly thought I was in trouble and was like listen, 'I'm going to put you on scholarship,'" Rector said.
"But then he immediately goes, 'It's only good for one year. I can pull it next year for not producing or not giving me your all or your 1%."
While the message may seem harsh to those outside the room, Rector respected that he had to always earn his spot on the team.
That doesn't mean Norvell's meticulousness, detailed focus, cheerfulness and high energy made sense to the players.
"Honesty, the first years that were with him, we couldn't tell if he was for real or if he was being serious, or if he was just flat-out crazy," Rector said.
Rector laughed and said now that he's done playing and has gotten into post-football life of working and coaching − and also recently welcomed a newborn daughter − he knows Norvell is crazy.
"He's absolutely crazy," Rector said with a chuckle.
"But listen, if you want to be the best at something, you have to be crazy about it. You have to lose yourself into it and that's just that's just how you have to be. That's why he got his contract extension. That's why he's gotten everybody to buy in as far, he's getting all these recruits and that's why we were so successful last year.
"Because finally everybody bought in and it was such a beautiful thing to see from just starting off when only a few guys [bought in]."
'Authentic': Memphis Mike is the same as Seminole Mike
If Norvell is considered different by FSU players, it's not something new or a 'Florida Man' (Internet meme) phenomenon
Just ask Washington Commander running back Antonio Gibson, who played two years under Norvell at Memphis.
Gibson experienced Norvell firsthand. The energized person who screams good morning at his players, coaching staff, personnel, random fans and even the media every morning is not a show.
"One thing you have to do is speak to him [in the moring]," Gibson said. "If you don't speak to him in the morning, you might get cussed out. You better say 'Good morning.'"
Gibson attended East Central Community College in Decatur, Mississippi for two years before transferring to Memphis in 2018.
The wide receiver was used in a hybrid role, which helped him garner interest from the NFL. He had 44 receptions for 834 yards with 10 touchdowns, 369 rushing yards and four touchdowns and 647 return yards and a touchdown with the Tigers.
Gibson parlayed that into being drafted in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
"Sometimes he would pick one player to dog, cuss and pick on in practice," Gibson said. "He just wants to see how you would react. You have to keep your cool and deal with that.
"So that's something I feel like I will always stay with. Never let anybody get under your skin and always remain poised, even if you're having a bad day. We always have to move on to that next place."
Norvell went 38-15 at Memphis as a first-time head coach. He started his FSU career at 3-10 but has found his stride at 15-6 over the last 21 games. The Seminoles are riding a six-game win streak into 2023.
Gibson said it's not shocking to him that Norvell has returned FSU to its winning ways.
"He's one of those coaches if you really buy into what he's saying and what he's trying to instill into you, any program he goes to will have success," Gibson said. "Success doesn't come easy. It takes time. I know if those guys buy in and they listen, I feel like they will have success."
Attracting transfers and using the portal
Recruiting Gibson was the first glimpse of what Norvell could do with scouting and identifying players in the transfer portal.
It's something he has taken full advantage of at FSU, bringing in success stories like Johnson and Jared Verse, another potential first-round pick. Keon Coleman (Michigan State) and Jaheim Bell (South Carolina) are among the many transfers this year into the program who could make a major difference.
Gibson, who was listed at 6-foot, 228 pounds with the Tigers, could serve as an example of how Bell (6-3, 239) is used in a hybrid role by Norvell.
So what does Norvell sell to recruits in the portal?
The truth, according to Johnson.
"What captivated me was he said, 'I just need you to come here and be Jermaine Johnson,'" Johnson said. "That really connected with me because I wanted to be myself and I wanted to be free and I wanted to see what I could do both on the field and then in a leadership role.
"Coach Norvell granted me that. He told me not to worry about anything else but coming here, being a leader and obviously letting the play talk for itself. And yeah, the rest is history after that."
In his lone season as a Seminole, Johnson played in 12 games, recording 70 total tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and a fumble returned for a TD.
Johnson was picked 26th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft as a result. The former FSU defensive end was honored during Seminoles’ Legacy Weekend on March 3, getting an All-American brick outside of Doak Campbell Stadium.
"He just held me accountable every day," Johnson said of Norvell. "You know, don't operate to other people's standards. Control what you can control. Just come out there every day, just reminding me to be the thermostat, not the thermometer. You set the temperature."
Despite Norvell's early challenges in Tallahassee, Johnson has never lost faith in Norvell.
"I take a ton of pride, man," Johnson said of how he feels about the program's success.
"I get emotional talking about it because I just remember every little thing. Practicing my butt off, not being or acting too cool for something. I made sure that what I was asking the guys around me, I made sure that I went out and did it. I'm not taking plays off. I'm going out there and being physical every day in practice. I'm not missing a day in practice and I'm setting the tone every day.
"Because if I can do it, they know everybody can do it."
GAME INFORMATION
Who: AP No. 8 FSU (0-0) vs. No. 5 LSU (0-0)
When/where: Sunday, Sept. 3, 7:30 p.m.; Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Fla.
TV/Radio: ABC/94.9 FM
Live game updates: www.Tallahassee.com; @JackGWilliams on Twitter; @Ehsan_Kassim on Twitter; @JimHenryTALLY on Twitter
Reach Ehsan Kassim at ekassim@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Ehsan_Kassim. You can also follow our coverage on Facebook (NoleSports) and Instagram (tlhnolesports).
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU football: How Mike Norvell rebuilt Seminoles football
