Three years ago, Mike Norvell had Florida State rolling. The Seminoles were 13-0, ACC champions, and just one step away from their first College Football Playoff appearance in eight years. That was then. A 5-7 finish last season, followed by a 3-5 start this year, has left Florida State searching for answers. Going back in time to their 2023-self, doesn’t sound too bad. Perhaps the university wants that, too. So, they fired the coach, and absorbed a $50 million buyout to make that happen.

Now, Florida State has a coaching vacancy to fill, but the program is also missing the person who would normally lead that search. Their athletic director was fired in September, leaving the Seminoles without an AD just as they start the hunt for their next head coach. However, for what it’s worth, CBS Sports reporter Brandon Marcello identified a few favorites for the coaching job.

“Jason Eck [New Mexico head coach] is the hottest name on the Group of Six level,” Marcello wrote in his latest article. “He’s 16-5 over the last two seasons at New Mexico, and his defense leads the nation, allowing only 11.9 points per game. 

“Eck’s gregarious personality would be a hit in Tallahassee. He’s also a builder. He was an offensive lineman under Barry Alvarez at Wisconsin, and when he became head coach at Idaho, he led the program to the FCS playoffs in all three seasons. He is 42-18 as a college head coach.”

Eck has built a reputation for getting more out of programs with limited resources, first at Idaho and, more recently, at New Mexico. That is what Florida State needs right now. The program, which is also in $430 million in debt, could certainly afford his much lower salary. Currently, the coach earns $1.75M annually, which makes him a more economical opinion. Plus, Eck would benefit from this, too. He’d finally get the chance to work with a Power Four school. That said, there would be some challenges as well.

Yes, he is a successful coach. But success at the FCS and Group of Six levels is completely different when compared to the expectations at Florida State. It would be a different landscape from the one he is used to.

Additionally, he lacks Southern roots or regional ties, making the transition all the more difficult. But the biggest part of the equation is the fans. Would Florida State fans accept a lower-profile Group of Six program?

That is a question for the fans to answer.

But considering Norvell was fired about 12 hours after a 36-24 home loss to Clemson, Eck would need a fast turnaround if chosen for the job. It goes without saying that it would be a tough task.

Under Eck’s leadership, New Mexico is 7-1 and 4-0 in the Mountain West. That is after a 21-16 win at San Jose State, its first there since 1969. And so, the program has entered the AP Top 25 for the first time in program history, with the poll dating back to 1936. He certainly looks like a good candidate for Florida State to consider.

But the program has to hire for other positions after Tony White (defensive coordinator) and Evan Cooper (safeties coach) were also fired. For now, offensive analyst Rick Stockstill will fill in as the interim head coach and linebackers coach Ernie Sims will step in as the interim defensive coordinator.

Florida State has more opinions

Though Eck sits on top of the list of coaches replacing Norvell, there are a few other names making rounds as well. Wake Forest’s Jake Dickert is 16-5 in two years and has the Deacons at 7-1. Duke’s Manny Diaz, an FSU alum, is 24-11.

But the program needs to make the right selections.

“We’re at the point now, like, ‘How can we afford not to do this?'” University president Richard McCullough said. “The time has come. We owe it to so many of our constituencies. We need to put a highly competitive team on the field, and we have to do whatever it takes to get to that place.”

Kenny Dillingham (Arizona State head coach), Eli Drinkwitz (Missouri head coach), and Georgia’s defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann also appear as the top choices.