Mike Norvell is calling plays again in 2026, and he just brought in a former FootballScoop Coordinator of the Year Award winner and Broyles Award winner to have in his ear while he does it.
Multiple reports share today that Florida State is expected to add Tom Herman in a support staff role.
Adam Rittenberg of ESPN notes that his title will be assistant to Norvell, and it's logical to conclude that Herman will bring his offensive perspective to the table for the Seminoles, where the 51-year-old spent most of his career before his two head coaching stops in the Big 12 and Conference USA.
It's a hire that makes a lot of sense on the surface for Norvell and company going into a critical 2026 campaign.
Herman got to Houston in 2015 off the back of two seasons as Urban Meyer's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Ohio State, where he helped guide the Buckeyes to the first College Football Playoff national championship following the 2014 season. That run earned him the 2014 Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant. His Houston offenses turned Greg Ward Jr. into a star, and he went 22-4 with the Cougars before Texas came calling.
Austin was more of a mixed bag. Herman went 32-18 over four seasons and produced some explosive offenses along the way, but he was let go after a 7-3 finish in the 2020 COVID year and collected a reported $15 million buyout on the way out. He spent time as an offensive analyst with the Chicago Bears before taking the FAU job, where things did not go his way. The Owls went 6-16 across two seasons, and Herman was fired after the 2024 campaign with a reported $4 million buyout. He has not coached in the college ranks since.
Here's the part that matters for Tallahassee. Norvell is heading into a make-or-break seventh season after the Seminoles went 5-7 in 2025, part of a 7-17 slide over the past two years. He is taking back play calling duties back after Gus Malzahn stepped away this offseason, retiring in February after 35 years in the profession. Give Malzahn credit, his lone season running the offense produced results, with FSU leading the ACC in total offense at 472.1 yards per game and in rushing at 218.7. Norvell promoted Tim Harris Jr. to offensive coordinator and is now steering the ship himself.
That's exactly why an experienced set of eyes like Herman's is worth having around. Whether it's game-planning, quarterback development with veteran transfer Ashton Daniels, or a second voice on in-game adjustments, Herman gives Norvell a sounding board who has called plays at the highest level and sat in the big chair when the pressure was on.
Norvell isn't handing over the keys. But when you're a play-caller under this much heat, having a former CFP-winning coordinator down the hall is a good asset to have.
Stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.