FSU football faces key decisions on four assistant coaches with contracts expiring soon

Florida State head coach Mike Norvell made his first change of the offseason on Friday.

With the Seminoles moving on from defensive backs coach Patrick Surtain Sr., there are countless other actions that need to take place over the coming weeks and months.

Norvell will need to make decisions on at least four assistant coaches in the near future as all of their contracts will expire on February 28, 2026.

Surtain Sr. was under the same terms. Now that we know he won't be back in Tallahassee, what about these other longtime faces on Norvell's staff?

John Papuchis, Linebackers Coach/Special Teams Coordinator

Papuchis has been on Norvell's staff since 2020. Late last year, he was moved to linebackers coach as the Seminoles brought in Terrance Knighton to coach the defensive line.

Thought to be one of the deeper units on defense, Florida State's linebackers were a disappointment in 2025. Elijah Herring was one of the lowest-graded players on the roster, while Justin Cryer and Blake Nichelson didn't take a step in the right direction.

Papuchis had previous success with the defensive ends, but much of that came through established players such as Jared Verse, Jermaine Johnson II, and Keir Thomas. He did assist in developing Patrick Payton, who was on the right track before a massive slide in 2024 that resulted in his transfer from the program.

As for the special teams unit, it was a spectacular failure. Poor kicking and terrible kick fielding. Florida State muffed back-to-back punts to seal a loss to North Carolina State in November. Redshirt freshman kicker Jake Weinberg finished 12/19 on field goals, missing five kicks in his final four games and only going 5/11 on the road.

FSU only returned 11 kickoffs and 11 punts in 12 games.

Per ESPN's SP+ metric, Florida State's special teams rating of -0.3 is No. 90 in the FBS.

Papuchis made $800,000 this season.

Tony Tokarz, Quarterbacks Coach

Tokarz came with Norvell from Memphis and was promoted to quarterbacks coach when Kenny Dillingham departed following the 2021 season. He helped guide former star quarterback Jordan Travis to the two best seasons of his college career.

Since then, the quarterback room has been inconsistent for the Seminoles. At the same time, some of the decisions, such as FSU's acquisitions of DJ Uiagalelei and Tommy Castellanos, were ultimately out of his hands.

High school recruiting has surfaced as an issue in recent years. Florida State parted ways with Chris Parson to sign three-star Brock Glenn in 2023. Glenn didn't see much action this fall and doesn't project to be a significant contributor moving forward.

Tokarz discovered four-star Luke Kromehoek before he had even taken a snap at the high school level, offering him following a summer camp. The Seminoles landed Kromenhoek early in the process and got him to campus. However, he transferred a year later.

The jury is still out on Kevin Sperry and Jaden O'Neal. Sperry has 17 career pass attempts, and O'Neal appears to be an odd scheme fit.

Tokarz made $500,000 this season.

David Johnson, Running Backs Coach

Johnson joined Norvell at Florida State following a stint at Tennessee. The two worked together previously at Memphis. Over the last six seasons, he's served as running backs and recruiting coordinator.

The running back rotation was strange in 2025 but much of that falls at the hands of offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn. There were promising flashes from Samuel Singleton Jr. and Ousmane Kromah, along with Gavin Sawchuk showing his capabilities.

Johnson previous produced a third-round pick in Trey Benson, who was a star in his two seasons at Florida State. He's developed multiple other productive running backs.

The recruiting in the running back room has been solid. However, Johnson is the recruiting coordinator and the overall product is lacking. Florida State has only signed two top-15 classes in six years and hasn't climbed higher than No. 11.

A report surfaced recently that Arkansas is interested in adding Johnson to its staff.

Johnson made $600,00 this season.

Chris Thomsen, Tight Ends Coach

Thomsen reunited with Norvell in 2020, coming over from TCU to be FSU's tight ends coach. Thomsen worked at Central Arkansas when Norvell was a record-setting receiver for the Bears in the early 2000s.

The tight end room didn't necessarily live up to expectations this fall, but it wasn't a negative either. Randy Pittman Jr. finished fourth on the team in receiving despite being banged up all year. Markeston Douglas was fine as a blocker but didn't do much as a pass-catcher. Landen Thomas fought through injuries and caught just three passes in his second season.

It didn't help that Chase Loftin got injured, though he was contributing at receiver anyway. Plus, Amaree Williams got moved over to defense after the season started.

Pittman Jr. and Thomas are eligible to return. FSU also signed four-star Xavier Tiller and three-star Corbyn Fordham in #Tribe26.

Though his recruiting was lackluster early in his tenure, Thomsen has picked it up as of late. He's signed a blue-chip tight end in three straight cycles (Landen Thomas - 2024, Chase Loftin - 2025, Xavier Tiller - 2026) and landed four overall in that time. Thomsen already has three-star Connor Winn committed in 2027.

Thomsen made $650,000 this season.

Odell Haggins, Associate Head Coach

The longest tenured member of Florida State's coaching staff, Haggins transitioned to an off-field role this season with Knighton taking over the entirety of the defensive line. That doesn't mean Haggins has taken a step back. He's stayed heavily involved, and his booming voice is a constant across the practice fields and on gamedays.

Odell Haggins is a true Seminole. Through the good and the bad, he's been a mainstay in Tallahassee for three decades.

As long as Haggins wants to bleed garnet and gold, expect Florida State to welcome him with open arms.

Haggins made $700,000 this season.

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