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FSU has one of the worst offenses in college football. Could Alex Atkins be fired?
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- FSU has one of the worst offenses in college football. Could Alex Atkins be fired?
One place that's easy to pinpoint for this horrid Florida State football season is on the offense, which has seen one of the worst turnarounds in college football. Could it lead to Mike Norvell firing offensive coordinator Alex Atkins ?
There has been no inclination that Atkins' job is in jeopardy, but the way this season has gone, it wouldn't be the biggest shock. FSU has averaged 14.4 points per game , which ranks 132nd out of 133 FBS teams (only Air Force is worse at 13.8 ppg). In 2023, when Atkins had Jordan Travis , Trey Benson , Keon Coleman and company, the Seminoles averaged 34.6 ppg, good for 19th in the nation.
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DJ Uiagalelei was supposed to step in for Travis and lead the offense, but the former Clemson and Oregon State quarterback struggled in his five starts before breaking a finger on his throwing hand. Redshirt freshman Brock Glenn and true freshman Luke Kromenhoek have split time in his place with the best showing being Glenn's game against Clemson in which he threw for 228 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. That was his first start after Uiagalelei's injury.
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FSU has allowed 30 sacks , tied for 127th in FBS, which also reflects poorly on Atkins, the offensive line coach . The offensive troubles extend beyond the passing game, too, as the running game has sputtered to the tune of 76.1 yards per game, again 132nd out of 133 FBS teams ( UCLA 's 73.9 ypg is last). And if fans want to blame a lack of depth on the Seminoles ' struggles, they can again blame Atkins, who is Norvell's key recruiting coordinator.
After FSU's latest loss to North Carolina , in which the Seminoles scored less than 20 points for the eighth straight game, Kelvin Hunt of Chop Chat wrote it was time to fire Atkins.
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"He will get a pay raise next year with this terrible product," Hunt wrote. "Yes, he has a few quality offensive linemen committed for 2025, but he hasn't shown he can develop high school players at all, so it doesn't matter if FSU signs them or not. It would probably be two years before they'd ever get on the field with the offensive line coach anyway. What little bit of recruiting he does is offset by the product on the field."
Florida State signed Norvell to an eight-year extension worth over $84 million before the season, so cutting ties with the head coach is improbable. But what about Atkins? Here's what to know:
Who is Alex Atkins?
Florida State offensive coordinator Alex Atkins arrives for an FSU spring football practice of the 2023 season on Friday, March 10, 2023.
Alex Atkins is the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach for the Florida State football team. He is also one of the key recruiting coordinators for FSU football head coach Mike Norvell.
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Atkins started at FSU in Norvell's first season in 2020 after serving as Charlotte's offensive coordinator in 2019. Those 49ers averaged 30.1 points per game, fourth in Conference USA, with No. 31 rushing offense in the nation (195.5 yards per game). Before that, he was the offensive line coach at Tulane from 2016-18 with previous coaching stints at Georgia Southern, Chattanooga , Marshall and UT-Martin.
Atkins has served as offensive line coach since he came to FSU, and he was promoted to offensive coordinator before the 2022 season. The Seminoles' run game jumped from 140.7 ypg before his arrival in 2019 to 202 ypg in 2020, then 177.8 in 2021 and 214.1 in 2022 in his first season as offensive coordinator. They fell to 150.2 ypg in 2023 but still averaged 401.6 total yards per game.
FSU scored 27.9 points per game before Atkins' arrival, and they stayed in that ballpark until 2022, when they averaged 36.1 per game, following that with 34.6 ppg in 2023.
Why was Alex Atkins suspended? Is Alex Atkins back?
On January 11, the NCAA announced Level II sanctions against FSU, making the Seminoles the first college football program to receive punishments for using NIL payments to induce recruits .
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The NCAA placed sanctions on FSU, Alex Atkins and an unnamed booster for impermissible recruiting activity and facilitating impermissible contact with a NIL-related booster. In spring 2022, "Atkins is alleged to have driven a prospect and his parents to a meeting with a leading member of the school's NIL collective, Rising Spear," according to Yahoo Sports reporter Ross Dellinger . Reports said the effort was to recruit a Georgia transfer for $15,000 per month .
As part of the penalties, Atkins was suspended for the first three games of the 2024 regular season and was given a two-year show-cause, which requires future schools who hire Atkins to explain the decision to NCAA officials. Atkins missed the Georgia Tech game in Ireland and the Boston College and Memphis losses. He was back with the Seminoles for their lone win so far vs. California .
Who calls FSU offensive plays? Is it Alex Atkins?
Alex Atkins may be the offensive coordinator, but head coach Mike Norvell is the one in charge of the offense on gameday. Norvell has called the plays on offense since he took the FSU job, something he also did in his previous head coaching job at Memphis .
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Norvell was asked after losing to Miami in late October whether he would consider giving up play-calling duties. "For us, and for me specifically, it's what's best for this football team," Norvell said, according to 247 Sports . "I'll always evaluate each role. Everybody's role and what we have and what it needs to be, obviously we haven't been very good offensively this year."
How much does Alex Atkins make?
Alex Atkins has the second-largest salary among Florida State assistant coaches, behind only defensive coordinator Adam Fuller . He makes $1.25 million for the 2024 season, a raise from his 2023 salary of $1.15 million.
Atkins' contract was extended after last season, expiring February 28, 2028. His new deal will kick in starting before the 2026 season. Here's what he is in line to make over the next few years:
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2024: $1.25 million
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2025: $1.3 million
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2026: $1.4 million
Alex Atkins buyout details
Atkins' contracts have previously had stipulations for how much Florida State would be on the hook in case he leaves for another job. According to The Osceola , the contract extension he signed in February 2023 said he would be due 100% of his total annual compensation if he terminated the agreement before December 31, 2024. He would be due 10% of his annual salary if he left for an NFL or pro job, and he would be due no buyout if he left for a college head coaching job.
It's unclear whether those stipulations have been modified under his current deal, which was restructured in January 2024.
Atkins was reportedly a candidate for the head coaching job at Washington after Kalen DeBoer left to replace Nick Saban at Alabama , but he obviously chose to stay at FSU. Former Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch took the Huskies job January 14.
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Will FSU fire Alex Atkins?
It seems unlikely. The fact that he's lasted this long into the dismal season is a sign Atkins isn't going anywhere. There has been no word from Norvell or the FSU athletic department that any of the coaching staff are on the hot seat.
Injuries have hamstrung the offense's chances at turning things around, starting with quarterback DJ Uiagalelei's broken finger September 28. Running back Roydell Williams has also been out since the SMU game, and backfield mate Kam Davis has also been out since picking up an injury October 18 against Duke.
After the Miami game , Atkins said he needs to game plan better, especially with the constant shuffling of the offensive line and three different quarterbacks taking meaningful snaps this season.
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"We have got to be able to adapt and improvise and got to make sure that the plan we are giving them can be executed," Atkins said. "I take ownership that if there is communication problems or mishaps, that means I put too much on them and I got to make sure that it can be as something as simple as it can."
Contributing: Peter Holland Jr. and Liam Rooney, Tallahassee Democrat
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Alex Atkins: Florida State offensive coordinator salary, buyout info
