CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Florida State head coach Mike Norvell was named the 2023 Dodd Trophy recipient, presented to the coach whose program represents the highest ideals on and off the field, it was announced Friday.
Norvell is the second Florida State head coach to win the Dodd Trophy, which has been presented annually since 1976 to the coach of a team that enjots a successful football season, while also stressing the importance of academic excellence and character. In 1980, Hall of Fame coach Bobby Bowden won the award and Norvell’s recognition this season makes Florida State the eighth school with multiple Dodd Trophy recipients.
Earlier this season, Norvell became the first Florida State coach since Bobby Bowden in 1997 to win ACC Coach of the Year honors.
With the honor, Norvell becomes the first ACC coach to win the Dodd Trophy since Duke’s David Cutcliffe did so in 2013. Norvell becomes the ninth ACC head coach to receive the honor as well.
Coach Norvell led the Seminoles to a perfect 13-0 record this season, highlighted by an ACC Championship title, both firsts for the program since 2014. He secured only the third 13-win season in Florida State history, joining the 2013 national championship team and the 2014 team that played in the inaugural College Football Playoff. Norvell and the Seminoles led the nation with eight wins this season over bowl-eligible Power Five conference teams and tied for the national lead by winning four games after trailing by at least 10 points. Under Norvell's leadership, Florida State also placed a program-record 25 selections on the All-ACC teams, including at least one at every position, led by Player of the Year quarterback Jordan Travis.
Florida State has excelled off the field under Norvell as well. In the classroom, 35 of Norvell's student-athletes received Academic All-ACC honors for the 2022-23 academic year. This group also had an impressive 983 Academic Progress Rate (APR), which tied for the 23rd highest mark in the FBS, and held a Graduation Success Rate of 63. Overall, the 2023 season featured 69 players who have graduated, earned a 3.0 cumulative GPA or finished their previous semester with a 3.0 GPA.
Before the 2020 season, Norvell emphasized the program's commitment to academics by creating the 'Seminole Scholar' patch on Florida State's jerseys to reward players who achieved a certain level of academic success. To date, a total of 253 Seminole Scholars have been recognized since the program's implementation.
"Coach Norvell's relentless commitment to establish a winning culture both on and off the field within the Florida State program was evident throughout this season. He prepared his teams thoroughly to take care of business on the field and continues to push his student-athletes to be successful off the field as well," said Jim Terry, chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation. "Coach Norvell truly carries on Coach Dodd's legacy in the modern era of the sport, and we are honored to name him The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Year."
In the community, Norvell has dedicated time to giving back and introducing his players to various charitable efforts. Florida State football formed a partnership with John G. Riley Elementary School in 2020, where players and staff assisted with several campus beautification projects that included building rock gardens and conducting book drives with the school. Norvell and his wife Maria also established the Keep Climbing Family Foundation as an action-based organization built on faith and service, focused on meeting the needs of others. He recently participated in the 2023 Southern Company Peach Bowl Challenge charity golf tournament, where he then donated his winnings to his Keep Climbing Family Foundation.
Norvell and the No. 5 Seminoles will face the No. 6 Georgia Bulldogs in the 90th Capital One Orange Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 30, at 4:00 p.m. in Miami Gardens, Fla. The game will air nationally on ESPN.