Alex Atkins listed as potential candidate for open Georgia Tech head coach job

Head coach Mike Norvell has a knack for getting the staff members under him paid. For instance, the Seminoles lost two-full time assistants who left for promotions elsewhere during the offseason. Offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham accepted the same role at Oregon, where he's getting a chance to call his own offense alongside Dan Lanning. Linebackers coach Chris Marve was hired by Virginia Tech as its defensive coordinator under first-year head coach Brent Pry.

Florida State is off to a 4-0 start and is 2-0 in conference play for the first time in seven years. That success could lead to members of the coaching staff being courted by other programs. One of the rising stars in the business is FSU offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, Alex Atkins. The Seminoles reportedly held off Georgia to retain Atkins over the offseason but it'll be hard to keep him in Tallahassee much longer.

Georgia Tech fired fourth-year head coach Geoff Collins on Monday. The Yellow Jackets are in the market for a new coach and one of the early contenders is apparently Deion Sanders.

Prior to the official firing of Collins, 247Sports' Carl Reed reported four names to watch in discussions for the job on Sunday. Reed named Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders, Georgia running back coach Dell McGee, Coastal Carolina head coach Jamey Caldwell, and Florida State's Alex Atkins.

Nick Kosko of 247Sports provided the following snippet on Atkins. While he's not at the top of the list, he would certainly be an interesting candidate when you consider his ability to develop talent and connect with players.

"The former UT-Martin guard began his coaching career at his alma mater in 2007 and went job to job before ending up at Florida State in 2020 under Mike Norvell. Atkins received offensive coordinator duties this season after coaching the offensive line over the last two years," Kosco wrote. "He still coaches the big boys up front, but at this rate, could get a head coaching job by operating that offense. Florida State is off to a 4-0 start and haven’t scored fewer than 24 points in a single game this season. The Seminoles just steamrolled Boston College 44-14 over the weekend."

Atkins was hired by Norvell at Florida State in 2020 following stints at Georgia Southern (2014-15, OL), Tulane (2016-18, OL, and Charlotte (2019, OC/OL), and others. Over the past three years, he's been pivotal in developing the remaining players in the program while recruiting top high school prospects and transfers to Tallahassee.

The Seminoles' offense has taken the next step a quarter of the way through the 2022 season. FSU is averaging 503.8 total yards per game, good for No. 15 in the country. Quarterback Jordan Travis is looking confident while running backs Treshaun Ward, Trey Benson, and Lawrance Toafili have all found success on the ground. Some of that can be attributed to the improvement of the offensive line, which has only allowed 5 sacks despite starting three different combinations in four games.

While Atkins may not land the Georgia Tech job, it shows how highly thought of he is in the profession to even be mentioned despite having no prior experience as a head coach.

Stick with NoleGameday for more coverage of Florida State football throughout the season.

What's next for the Florida State Seminoles? Join thousands for FREE to not miss out on any breaking news or recruiting latest by clicking this link or texting our number (850) 616-8661!

Follow NoleGameday on Twitter and Facebook