FSU football dismisses defensive backs coach Patrick Surtain Sr.

The Florida State Seminoles are making a change on defense.

Vanguard Head Football Coach Edwin Farmer, left, talks with Florida State Defensive Back Coach Patrick Surtain, right, Wednesday. The Vanguard Knights held a Spring football practice at Booster Stadium Wednesday afternoon, May 24, 2023 in Ocala, FL. The Knights played Manatee High School in their Spring football matchup. [Doug Engle/Ocala Star Banner]2023 | Doug Engle / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Florida State Seminoles are expected to make multiple changes to their coaching staff this offseason.

The 2025 campaign was a disappointment for head coach Mike Norvell as the Seminoles finished 5-7 and out of the postseason for the second straight year and fourth time in the last six seasons.

READ MORE: Florida State linebacker becomes first roster departure to hit the transfer portal

That's led to a surprising move early in December.

FSU Fires Defensive Backs Coach Patrick Surtain Sr.

Florida State football and coaches players arrive for the fifth FSU spring football practice of the 2023 season on Thursday, March 23. Patrick Surtain 1 Of 1 | Ehsan Kassim/Tallahassee Democrat / USA TODAY NETWORK

On Friday, Florida State fired defensive backs coach Patrick Surtain Sr., who just wrapped up his third season with the program, per On3's Pete Nakos.

Surtain Sr. joined the Seminoles in 2023 following a stint with the Miami Dolphins as a defensive assistant.

In his first season at Florida State, the team finished 13-1 and won the ACC Championship. After that campaign, cornerback Renardo Green and cornerback Jarrian Jones were selected in the top-100 picks of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Surtain Sr. produced another draft pick the following year as cornerback Azareye'h Thomas was taken in the third round.

Ahead of the 2025 season, Florida State brought in Evan Cooper to coach safeties. Surtain Sr. retained his defensive backs coach title but mainly worked with the cornerbacks.

This fall, Surtain Sr. helped redshirt sophomore Ja'Bril Rawls produce a breakout season. However, one of Florida State's biggest acquisitions in the transfer portal, Jerry Wilson, essentially ended up being a bust.

Depth turned into an issue at cornerback. Rawls and junior Quindarrius Jones were knocked out for the season. By the end of the campaign, FSU was starting a true freshman, Shamar Arnoux, on the outside as redshirt freshman and former top recruit, Charles Lester III, was unable to consistently find his footing.

Florida State also had multiple failures on the recruiting trail. Notably, five-star safety KJ Bolden, four-star cornerback Jay Timmons, and four-star safety Tedarius Hughes all flipped from the Seminoles shortly before their respective signing dates.

Surtain Sr. previously was a head coach at the high school level for American Heritage. He won three state championships with the Patriots.

The 49-year-old spent over a decade in the NFL after being drafted by the Miami Dolphins in 1998. Surtain Sr. was a two-time All-Pro and a three-time Pro Bowl selection. His son, Patrick Surtain II, was selected in the first round in 2021 and is the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

It's unclear if Florida State plans to pursue a new defensive backs coach or delegate the duties to Cooper moving forward.

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