ESPN College Football analyst hypes up FSU's coaching hires of Gus Malzahn, Tony White

Former Alabama quarterback and ESPN analyst Greg McElroy spoke on his "Always College Football" podcast about the changes Florida State has made ahead of the upcoming 2025 season. After an abysmal 2-10 campaign in 2024, FSU looks to bounce back, and McElroy thinks the Seminoles flipping nearly its entire coaching staff could be a game-changer in Tallahassee.

"[I think] that there is a sliver of optimism to be had for the [Seminoles] this season. First things first, they flip the staff. So when things fall off a cliff, you got to really look internally, and, 'are we getting the best possible coaching for our offense and defense?' Mike Norvell determined that they weren't," said McElroy.

Moreover, the former 'Bama QB mentioned that Norvell delegating offensive responsibilities to Gus Malzahn will allow him to focus on the overall, general worries of the football team.

"He (Norvell) also determined that I need to go bring in an experienced play-caller so that I can completely delegate the responsibilities of calling the plays to Gus Malzahn. So, Gus Malzahn, the former UCF head coach but a long-time guru offensively when it comes to calling plays, he will now be directing the offense for the Seminoles," said McElroy of Malzahn.

The ESPN analyst continued, sharing his thoughts on FSU's new defensive coordinator, Tony White from Nebraska.

"Then, on defense, they went and looked everywhere, and they identified Tony White, the defensive coordinator at Nebraska," said McElroy. "Prior to that, he was at Syracuse. He's going to be the guy running the defensive side of the football."

Furthermore, McElroy stated that this situation could be great for Malzahn and the Seminoles, as the team has a lot of room to grow on the offensive side of the ball.

FSU was horrifically awful on the ground last season, but McElroy believes this is Malzahn's special ability.

"Gus Malzahn is always going to make running the football a priority. That's what he does," said McElroy. He's one of the best in the country at it. So, identifying the weaknesses of last year's team and their inability to run the football ... I love the marriage, though, that Gus Malzahn is going to have his new quarterback."

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