Nine-figure investment in FSU football under Norvell is about more than facilities.

TALLAHASSEE — When the powerful SEC asked for a call to coach Florida State football, Jimbo Fisher said yes. Mike Norvell said no. Through the colors of Doak Campbell Stadium and its surroundings, we can see the main reason behind their answer.

It's a red crane. green cherry picker. yellow bulldozer. white helmet. Brown stains – Lots of brown stains.

“This is a big step,” Norvell said this week as the Seminoles began spring practice. “Those are necessary steps.”

They are necessary steps, yes, if FSU is to continue its climb to the top of college football. However, it is not difficult to see that these are necessary measures to maintain Nobel.

Fisher's long and awkward move from FSU to Texas A&M in 2017 was due to a lack of coordination between him and the program's power brokers. Their priorities did not always align, especially when it came to the facilities arms race. Fisher immediately wanted an independent soccer facility. FSU wasn't ready.

“You can have the greatest coach in the world, but if the regime doesn't see things the way they see it and don't allow them to do things the way they see it, you're not going to accomplish anything.” Fisher said at his inaugural press conference. Aggies. “Success requires unity in all actions.”

As Mr. Fisher's unsuccessful 45-25 tenure has shown, oneness does not guarantee success. But his point was clear. FSU lacked a collective effort.

No more.

A statue of the late Bobby Bowden overlooks a pair of portable trailers and a construction site. The Dunlap Football Center, a separate facility Fisher coveted, is on the way. Admittedly, it took longer than expected. The Seminoles announced plans to construct the building on the eve of Willie Taggart's first game of 2018. But the progress is visible behind the temporary chain-link fence.

And that nine-figure project isn't even the biggest one underway.

The Doak appears oddly exposed during a renovation that will cost more than $250 million. FSU plans to reduce seating capacity by about 9,000 seats in favor of larger, more expensive seats that will increase revenue, especially if the Seminoles cannot leave the ACC soon.

“This shows an investment…” defensive coordinator Adam Fuller said. “You never want your players to be satisfied with the situation they're in. You always want to push them to be better. Well, we coaches need to do that. We need to do that with the infrastructure. We need to do it with the facilities. We need to do it in everything, including player development. It's along the lines of always trying to improve.”

Stay up to date on the Tampa Bay sports scene

Subscribe to our free Sports Today Newsletter

Daily news and analysis about the Bucks, Lightning, Rays and Florida college football teams.

Everyone is registered!

Want more free weekly newsletters sent to your inbox? let's start.

consider all options

The fact that Mr. Fuller is present to witness the investment is proof of this. He is one of only a few schools in the nation to bring back FSU's entire coaching staff. Norvell said part of that is due to the administration's aggressive moves to retain as many coaches as possible.

The Seminoles gave Fuller a $2 million raise this offseason, making him one of the highest-paid assistants in the country. All 10 assistants received $15,000 signing bonuses in December. Their total fundraising total exceeded $1 million.

While new buildings and major contracts are obvious signs of commitment, there are equally important deals that take place behind closed doors. Nobel praised the technological advancements at the staff's disposal. For quarterbacks coach Tony Tokarz, that means expanding his position group's regular use of virtual reality with an upgraded room attached to the new facility.

“It gives you game-like reps without putting stress on your body,” Tokarz says.

And then there's Nobel.

Alabama was interested in hiring him after Nick Saban retired. The Crimson Tide may have given Norvell everything he wanted, both personally and programmatically. That's probably what Fisher would have done.

Nobel did not do that. In announcing his retention, he thanked the administration, from the school's president Richard McCullough to the board of directors, for its “incredible dedication to our student-athletes and staff.”

“We're all moving together in the same direction,” Nobel said. “It would not have happened without the support of the administration and belief in the direction we are going.”

• • •

Sign up for our Sports Today newsletter for daily updates on the Bucs, Rays, Lightning and college football across Florida.

Never miss an update on your favorite Tampa Bay sports teams. Follow our coverage on Instagram. X And Facebook.