Report: Florida State Adding Defensive Coach To Staff With NFL, P5 Experience
Florida State has prioritized building a strong off-field staff under head coach Mike Norvell in Tallahassee. Those quality additions have also helped the Seminoles promote from within as quarterbacks coach Tony Tokarz and co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Randy Shannon both began their time at Florida State off the field.
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The program is making at least one more move on the coaching front ahead of the 2023 season.
On Monday evening, On3's Matt Zenitz reported that Florida State was hiring veteran coach Anthony Midget to an off-field role. Midget has experience at the NFL and P5 levels after most recently working as the secondary coach for the Tennessee Titans.
The Florida native has been primarily working with defensive backs since 2008. He served as the defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator at Georgia State from 2008-11 before adding the role of defensive coordinator in 2012. Midget was hired by Penn State as safeties coach the following season before making the leap to the NFL.
Midget spent six years with the Houston Texans (2014-19), working as assistant secondary coach during his first four seasons with the franchise before spending the final two years as secondary coach. He joined the Tennessee Titans in the same role and spent three years with the team before being let go in January.
He also has experience as an assistant coach for Lake Worth High School (2002-06) and as a graduate assistant at Virginia Tech (2007). Midget played his college ball for the Hokies from 1996-1999, capping off his career with a loss to Florida State in the Sugar Bowl for the National Championship. He was named first-team All-Big East in 1999.
Midget was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He also spent time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before beginning his coaching career.
Florida State has made a couple of changes in the defensive backfield after former defensive backs coach Marcus Woodson was hired by Arkansas earlier this year. The Seminoles replaced Woodson with Patrick Surtain Sr. and now are making another addition with NFL experience.
It's expected that Midget will slide into the senior analyst role that was formerly held by Cortez Carter, who was hired by Lousiana Tech this spring. Carter worked with the defensive backs and linebackers during his time in Tallahassee.
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