Paul Finebaum questions the appeal of FSU's opening

Paul Finebaum questions the appeal of FSU's opening.

The ESPN analyst said on McElroy and Cubelic that he does not view the Florida State head coaching job as especially attractive right now.

Finebaum pointed to the program's recent decline and what he called damage to its national reputation.

"I don't think that's a good job at all," Finebaum said.

He added that Florida State's brand has been "devalued" and its national image has taken a significant hit.

The criticism comes just days after Florida State fired Mike Norvell.

Norvell ended his seven-year tenure with a 41-39 record.

Florida State is 3-5 this season.

The Seminoles have missed bowl games in each of the previous two years.

But Norvell also led the program to a 13-0 ACC championship season in 2023.

Rick Stockstill is serving as interim coach while the university conducts a national search.

Finebaum did acknowledge some advantages.

He pointed to Florida State's location.

He also noted that the ACC remains a conference where a quick turnaround can create a realistic path to the postseason.

Still, he compared the challenge of restoring FSU to the long-running attempt to return the Nebraska Cornhuskers to national prominence.

That comparison carries weight.

Nebraska has not won a conference championship since 1999.

The Cornhuskers have had six head coaches since Tom Osborne retired after the 1997 season.

None of them have fully restored the program to its 1990s level.

Finebaum's implication is clear: FSU's path back could take just as long.

The conversation also turned to potential candidates.

One name that came up was former FSU coach Jimbo Fisher.

Fisher led the Seminoles to a national championship in 2013.

He left for Texas A&M after the 2017 season.

Fisher was fired by Texas A&M in 2023 after going 45-24 there.

Finebaum said he was unsure how realistic a Fisher reunion would be.

He questioned whether a second stint would work.

Even so, Finebaum acknowledged that he still considers Fisher a strong coach at his core.

Another veteran name Finebaum mentioned was Brian Kelly.

Kelly is currently the head coach at LSU.

He has a 31-10 record there since taking over in 2022.

Before LSU, Kelly spent 12 seasons at Notre Dame, going 113-40 and reaching the College Football Playoff in 2018 and 2020.

Kelly's name has come up in coaching speculation before, though he has given no public indication he plans to leave LSU.

Not everyone shares Finebaum's pessimistic view of the opening.

Kelly himself said Wednesday that Florida State still carries major brand recognition.

He called leading the program an "honor and privilege" if the opportunity were ever presented.

That contrast may define the early stages of FSU's search.

Finebaum sees a program whose value has fallen considerably.

Florida State is betting that its history, recruiting territory, and championship expectations are still enough to attract the right coach.

The Seminoles have won three national championships — 1993, 1999, and 2013.

They have produced three Heisman Trophy winners: Charlie Ward (1993), Chris Weinke (2000), and Jameis Winston (2013).

Florida sits in one of the most fertile recruiting territories in the country.

The state of Florida produces more blue-chip recruits per capita than almost any other.

FSU also plays in the ACC, which has been more accessible for playoff contention than the SEC in recent years.

The Seminoles' 13-0 season in 2023 proved that a quick turnaround is possible.

But the two years since have been a steep decline.

FSU went 2-10 in 2024.

The program is 3-5 in 2025 with four games left.

Whoever takes the job will inherit a roster that has lost significant talent to the transfer portal.

The new coach will also face a recruiting landscape that has changed dramatically since FSU's last peak.

Name, Image, and Likeness deals now play a major role in where players commit.

The transfer portal allows players to move freely between programs.

Both factors have made it harder for traditional powers to stockpile talent the way they once did.

Finebaum's Nebraska comparison may be more apt than it first appears.

Nebraska has struggled to adapt to the modern era of college football.

The Cornhuskers have not won a bowl game since 2015.

They have had four losing seasons in the last eight years.

Florida State is now on its third head coach since Bobby Bowden retired in 2009.

Bowden built the program into a national power over 34 seasons.

Jimbo Fisher maintained that level for several years.

Since Fisher left, the program has had two head coaches — Willie Taggart and Norvell — and neither has been able to sustain success.