FSU's Mike Norvell Named Bear Bryant Coach Of The Year

TALLAHASSEE – Florida State head coach Mike Norvell has been named the winner of the 2023 Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award, it was announced Tuesday evening at the Bear Bryant Awards event in Houston.

 

Norvell is the first Florida State head coach to win the award, which has been presented annually since 1986 to the coach who has reached a high standard of excellence on and off the field with the ability to inspire, the patience to teach and the gift of leadership.

 

It is the second national Coach of the Year honor this season for Norvell, who was also named the winner of the Dodd Trophy after leading the Seminoles to a 13-0 record before an appearance in the Capital One Orange Bowl. 

Norvell has also been voted this year’s ACC Coach of the Year, the AFCA Region 1 Coach of the Year, one of five finalists for the George Munger Coach of the Year Award presented by the Maxwell Football Club and one of 12 finalists for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award.

In his fourth season at Florida State, Norvell led the 2023 Seminoles to the seventh undefeated regular season in program history, an ACC Championship Game win over No. 14 Louisville and a No. 4 ranking in the final regular season Associated Press poll. Norvell became the first FSU coach to win ACC Coach of the Year since Bobby Bowden in 1997.

 

Norvell produced the third 13-win season in Florida State history, joining the 2013 national championship team and the 2014 College Football Playoff semifinalists. Norvell is the sixth different ACC coach to lead his team to an undefeated record in conference play since 2000.

 

The Seminoles had eight wins this season over bowl-eligible Power 5 conference teams, the most in the country, and also tied for the national lead with four wins in games it trailed by at least 10 points. FSU was the only team that produced a stretch in which it outscored its opponent by at least 17 points in every regular-season game in 2023, and its eight games with a plus-24 scoring run ranked second.

 

Norvell’s team placed a program-record 25 selections on the All-ACC teams, including at least one at every position, led by Player of the Year quarterback Jordan Travis. FSU’s eight first-team selections were the most in the conference, and Florida State also topped the ACC in second-team and third-team honorees.

The Seminoles led the nation in opponent completion percentage, pass breakups and passes defended while ranking second in fewest interceptions thrown and third in net punting. FSU also ranked sixth in passing efficiency defense, sacks and third-down defense and is seventh in average kickoff return.

 

Florida State boasted the ACC’s top scoring offense while also leading the conference in yards per completion, sacks per game, kickoff return average, fewest interceptions thrown and fewest total turnovers.

 

Norvell is the third ACC coach to win the award and first since 2018.