FSU Head Coaching Search: Updated Hot Board
ByJOSH NEWBERG Nov 15, 1:22 PM

The Florida State Seminoles are looking for a new head coach.  On Nov. 3, the school announced the decision to terminate Willie Taggart’s contract, per a release from athletic director David Coburn.
 
Taggart went 9-12 at FSU, with an 0-5 record against rivals Florida, Miami and Clemson. An embarrassing 27-10 loss to Miami on Saturday was the last straw. 
 
The Seminoles have been searching for a head coach for two weeks.  Bob Stoops emerged early on as a top candidate, but it now looks like Florida State will look in another direction.
 
Here's a look at our updated Head Coaching Hot Board:

MINNESOTA HC P.J. FLECK
PJ Fleck (38) — Fleck has turned Minnesota around in his third year with the program.  Fleck has the Gophers off to an 9-0 start and is one of the hottest up and coming names in coaching circles.  Fleck brings a ton of energy to any program he touches. He is known as a great recruiter, leader and communicator.  Fleck brings an uptempo, high scoring offense with him.  He currently makes around $3.5 million and would be well within the budget Florida State is working with.
Buyout:  $4 million, but $10 million if he leaves in 2020 (when extension starts)
 
WAKE FOREST HC DAVE CLAWSON
Dave Clawson (52) -- Clawson has done a remarkable job at Wake Forest.  This season the Demon Deacons added to FSU's misery by defeating them 22-20, which helped speed up the firing of Willie Taggart.  Clawson is an offensive minded coach that is known for his work with quarterbacks.  He's been at Wake Forest since 2014 and there was a lot of buzz around his name the last time FSU was in the market for a head coach.  
Buyout: N/A Wake is a private university. 
 
IOWA STATE HC MATT CAMPBELL
Matt Campbell (39) — Campbell is another one of the young up and coming coaches that is being considered for bigger jobs.  Campbell has been at Iowa State since 2016 and has the Cyclones competing with the best in the Big12 each year.  Campbell took over at Toledo when he was just 32 years old.  He’s not even 40 yet and has nearly ten years of coaching experience.  Campbell makes about $3.5 million per year.
Buyout: $6 million if buyout occurs before Feb. 1 of 2020.
 
KENTUCKY HC MARK STOOPS
Mark Stoops (52) — Stoops left Florida State after the 2012 season, where he served as Jimbo Fisher’s defensive coordinator, to take the head coaching job at Kentucky. Stoops might not have called the plays in 2013, but he was responsible for recruiting the personnel that went produced numerous NFL draft picks and the pieces that won a National Championship for FSU. Stoops has succeeded at Kentucky despite getting off to a rocky start. He’s improved the program each year, culminating in a 9-3 season in 2018, which included a road win over the Florida Gators. We do believe Stoops would be interested in the job, if offered.
Buyout: $1,750,000
 
CLEMSON DC BRENT VENABLES
Brent Venables (48) — The fiery defensive coordinator that has been the mastermind behind Dabo Swinney’s defensive success. Venables has been calling defenses at the highest level since 1999. He served under Bob Stoops at Oklahoma from 1999-2011, before joining up with Dabo in 2012. He’s one of the highest paid defensive coordinators in the country at $2 million year, but FSU could pay him much more to be their head coach. The knock on Venables is that some feel he’s a career assistant and doesn’t have the personality to run a program. But what he’s done on the field over the years cannot be ignored and it could be time for him to take the next step.
Buyout: None for a head coaching job.
 
MEMPHIS HC MIKE NORVELL
Mike Norvell (38) — Norvell has turned heads with what he’s done at Memphis over the four years that he’s been there. The Tigers won eight games his first year, ten the following, eight in 2018 and Norvell currently has Memphis at 9-1 this season. He resigned with Memphis back in 2017 and is currently the highest paid coach in the AAC at $2.6 million. If this is the direction FSU chooses to go, then money should not be an issue in luring Norvell away.
Buyout: $500,000
 
PENN STATE HC JAMES FRANKLIN
James Franklin (47) — Two years ago Florida State expressed interest in Penn State head coach James Franklin.  We're hearing there is also interest in Franklin this time around.  Franklin has done an admirable job of building Vanderbilt into a contender and getting Penn State back to their winning ways.  He has always kept a strong staff of recruiters around him and has had success finding talent in the state of Florida.  Franklin has nine years of head coaching experience and was an offensive coordinator prior to that.  Although he's winning at Penn State, some feel Franklin would listen if FSU came knocking.
Buyout: $1,000,000
 
BAYLOR HC MATT RHULE
Matt Rhule (44) - Rhule's name has gained steam for the turnaround projects he's been in charge of at Temple and now Baylor.  Rhule inherited a rebuild at Temple and Baylor and got both programs back on track in a few short seasons.  Rhule did so by paying attention to detail and not cutting corners.  It's not always pretty when Rhule arrives, he won one game in his first season at Baylor, but got to seven win the following year and is currently 9-0 in 2019. 
Buyout: Baylor is a private school, an exact figure isn’t public. But it’s been described as “aggressive” and one of the biggest buyouts in college football.
 
FLORIDA STATE ASSISTANT COACH ODELL HAGGINS
Odell Haggins (52) — He embodies everything that is Florida State. The only knock on Odell Haggins is experience. He's a lifelong defensive line coach that has a deep passion for the university and its players. Haggins has the backing of his players and former players, but fans and alumni are not all on board with promoting someone without coordinator experience. However, Odell has shown the results on the field with a 3-0 record as FSU's interim head coach. If he can keep winning, especially in Gainesville, things could get interesting if FSU is still coach-less by the end of the season.
Buyout: None
 
RETIRED HC BOB STOOPS
Bob Stoops (59) — It appears that the likeliness of Stoops to become FSU's next head coach is very low.  Stoops was a top candidate early on in the search, but nearly two weeks after Willie Taggart's firing, FSU is moving on.  It's doubtful that things will heat back up with Stoops and FSU, but we'll leave his name on here just incase he has a change of heart.