The Seminoles head coach has drawn heat for how he constructs his roster. But he defended his tactics at a coaching clinic.
Mike Norvell once went 13-1 with so-called rental players at Florida State.
He's pivoted to the transfer portal model -- but that tactic has drawn criticism the last two seasons due to dismal results. His Seminoles teams haven't replicated the success of that Atlantic Coast Conference title winner and Norvell is very much on the hot seat this fall.
Norvell faced heat for roster building tactics, yet defended how he builds his team in front of coaches at a Orlando Coach of the Year clinic held on Friday evening.
"I'm not looking to rent a team, I'm not looking to having a bunch of jerseys. It's about building a family, building a legacy, it's about having the opportunity of one season, for a team to be able to have the actions that's going to change lives," Norvell said via Noles247.
Yet Norvell acknowledged to the coaches in attendance that his team has endured struggles.
"We've faced challenges over the last few years. We've had disappointing moments," Norvell admits. "But I'm excited about what's ahead for this football team as we continue to climb."
The returning head coach elaborated on why he's enthusiastic about this year's Noles.
"We're seeing 30, 40, 50 newcomers come into a program," Norvell said. "This year, we signed 32 freshmen, 32 high-school freshmen came into our program, 28 of them started in January. We have another 20 transfers. That's almost 50 new players."
But there's more when it comes to roster attrition.
"We were able to retain and return a lot of production from this last year's football team, but I'm really excited about this group that's coming together," he said.
He has welcomed the challenge of building teams in an era where sometimes, the college football veteran searching for a new home rises as the best option compared to building with a three-star or four-star talent.
"You're really only going to get one year and one chance for this football team. The investment, the relationships that are made now are going to be part of the sport moving forward," Norvell said.
He already has a new quarterback in place via Auburn and Stanford in Ashton Daniels. Running back Quintrevion "Tre" Wisner is another impact transfer in coming from Texas.
But Norvell is trying to win over recruits too -- notably four-star Kentucky wide receiver Cam Wade on the recruiting trail.
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