With FSU hiring Mike Norvell, what does it mean for Odell Haggins’ future?
Now that Florida State hired and introduced Mike Norvell as its next head football coach, there were questions surrounding Odell Haggins future.
Would the longtime FSU assistant retire?
Would he go elsewhere with the Seminoles’ fourth head coach since Bobby Bowden’s retirement in 2009?
The answer to those is neither. Haggins, who served as interim head coach on two occasions — in 2017 between Jimbo Fisher’s departure for Texas A&M and Willie Taggart’s hiring in Tallahassee and in 2019 following Taggart’s dismissal and Norvell’s hiring from Memphis — is staying put.
FSU athletic director David Coburn told 247 Sports following Norvell’s introductory news conference on Sunday that “Odell is not going anywhere.”
On Monday, Norvell confirmed that during an appearance on the “Packer and Durham Show” on the ACC Network.
He said Haggins is going to be part of his full-time staff.
“When I think about Florida State football, Odell Haggins is definitely a key member in what we’re going to be doing here,” Norvell said on the show. I’m excited about him being a part of the family.”
Haggins told reporters Sunday that he’s going to lead the team in the Sun Bowl against Arizona State with Norvell.
Haggins was an All-American defensive tackle for the Seminoles and played in the NFL before returning to Tallahassee to join Bowden’s staff in the mid-1990s.
During his coaching career at FSU, he has mostly been a defensive line coach. In two stints as an interim coach, Haggins has gone 4-1 and led the team to two bowl appearances.
This story was originally published December 9, 2019 at 11:45 AM with the headline "With FSU hiring Mike Norvell, what does it mean for Odell Haggins’ future?."
