Rumors are beginning to swirl in Tallahassee that no matter what Mike Norvell does the rest of the season he won’t return as head coach of the Florida State Seminoles.
Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline is reporting that former Seminoles All-American and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders could be the next head coach at Florida State. During the spring the rumors began to resonate that Coach Prime could replace Norvell.
“I asked, “What happens if Mike Norvell goes undefeated the rest of the season? My source told me, there’s still a very good chance they bring Sanders in. It’s been something that’s been talked about and I’ve heard about since Spring Football this season,” Pauline said in statement.
Deion Sanders to Florida State is very real.
“There was a big push at FSU in early March, to bring Sanders in as the new head coach. There’s a faction, not decision-makers but influential people at Florida State, who have the ear of the decision-makers.”
Rumors of Deion taking over at FSU were surfacing as early as last year, but they proved to have no teeth at the time.
He’s only entrenched himself deeper into the fabric of the HBCU community since then, to the point where more schools than just Jackson State are relying on Deion to create opportunities and resources for them.
If Deion bolted for FSU right now he’d probably be taking his son Shedeur, JSU’s starting quarterback, with him. It would be a huge setback for HBCU football.
Can Deion Bring The Noles Back?
Deion would be taking over a program that is a shell of its former self. The once prestigious program was left in shambles by Jimbo Fisher and has suffered three straight losing seasons.
Let’s assume they are headed for a fourth straight sub-.500 season after an 0-3 start.
Glorious Days Are Gone & Everybody’s Doing Bad
FSU is far removed from the days when Charlie Ward was winning the Heisman and Bobby Bowden (RIP) was roaming the sidelines in the ’80s and ’90s. Bowden led FSU to fourteen consecutive AP top-five finishes, including two national championships in 1993 and 1999.
The Seminoles are also almost a decade removed from when Fisher won the national championship in 2013 with a quarterback named Jameis Winston.
Now this program has become a doormat for teams like Jacksonville State, who have no business coming into Tallahassee and winning.
This shows how bad things have gotten in Tallahassee, as Norvell still has four years left on a six-year deal. In order to move on from him for “Coach Prime” the Noles would have to eat a costly buyout.
Adding Sanders would do wonders for the program as far as recruiting and relevancy goes, as those two things have suffered mightily during this rough three- to four-year stretch.
Must Be The Money
When he suited up for the garnet and gold, Sanders was special as a defensive back and punt returner. His elite speed, athleticism and supreme cover skills led him to a Hall of Fame career in the NFL and recognition as the best cover corner to ever play.
Sanders has stayed active in the game in a variety of capacities. Following years of working in the media, Coach Prime decided to go into full-time coaching.
Currently the head coach at Jackson State University, he’s seeking to rebuild that once storied HBCU program while also bringing much needed relevancy and attention to Black college football.
Would Deion Flat Leave HBCU Football For FSU?
For a guy like Deion, an opportunity to restore his alma mater to national prominence at the highest level of college football could be too tempting to pass up — even if his heart is dedicated to giving JSU and the HBCU world all he has.
The Noles program needs a jolt, some juice, a shot in the arm to say the least. Sanders would be able to recruit top-tier talent to Tallahassee. Rumors are just that until something happens, but this is one to keep an eye on, as it could come to fruition.
