FSU Coach Changes Decision on Taking UCLA Job As Mike Norvell on Alert

With DeShaun Foster shown the door after a disastrous 0-3 start, UCLA’s football world quickly spun into chaos. Seven 2026 pledges decommitted within just 48 hours. The group includes two four-star recruits and standout prospects Johnnie Jones and David Schwerzel, who once anchored a top-25 national class. With recruiting rankings slipping, UCLA’s leaders now face urgent pressure to get their head coaching hire right. And suddenly, all eyes out west drifted toward Mike Norvell’s coaching staff for answers.

Reeling from yet another failed experiment in Westwood, the Bruins are eyeing FSU’s Tony White to fix their head coaching mess. White is an FSU favorite who nearly landed the UCLA job the last time it was open. But only for the Bruins to gamble on Foster instead. But why now? White has orchestrated back-to-back top 20 defenses, first at Nebraska, now with FSU’s unit looking rejuvenated this fall. The intrigue? UCLA’s brass might actually want a candidate with more head coaching experience, which could end up saving White for Florida State.

Bruins writer Ira Gorawara writes on X, “Tony White, former Bruin and current defensive coordinator at Florida State, briefly hopped on Sunday’s call w/ UCLA alumni and Martin Jarmond. Said a former player on the call: “(White) wants to be the next coach. He didn’t say that, but … you could just tell by his energy.”

Just a few days ago, the buzz was that UCLA was chasing big-name coaches with proven résumés. Dave Aranda, Jason Eck, and Jedd Fisch—all rumored to be in the mix. Even Ed Orgeron, the fiery former LSU coach with SoCal ties, was itching for a comeback. At first, it looked like Tony White wasn’t leaving Florida State for the West Coast. But now, he’s suddenly bringing the kind of “energy” that makes him look like a real contender for the Bruins’ job.

If White decides to take the UCLA head coaching gig, the Bruins would gain more than just an alum back on the sidelines. Nebraska’s run defense cracked the top 10 in both 2023 and 2024. At Florida State, Tony White’s 3-3-5 has flipped the defense into one of the nation’s biggest turnarounds, and UCLA can surely benefit from the defensive mastermind. UCLA, on the other hand? Three weeks in, the Bruins are giving up 36 points and 431 yards a game under Ikaika Malloe, who has also discontinued with the team.

They’re 132nd out of 134 teams, allowing 244 rushing yards a night. And White could easily stir up this mess in a major way. But beyond just scheming better defenses, Tony White’s recruiting pull could be a game-changer for UCLA. And especially when the Bruins are already facing a plethora of decommitments, smashing what had been a top-25 recruiting class into the mid-40s nationally. Shockingly, FSU’s head coach Mike Norvell isn’t rattled by the buzz around White potentially leaving for UCLA. He actually gets it that when you have a rising star like White on your staff, other programs are going to come calling.

“I want to be a part of their growth,” Norvell said. “I want to be a part of their improvement, [the] enjoyment of what this profession is, and how we get to do it. … I’m here to support all of our staff in that. And when you do a good job, your name will be out there, rumors of (jobs).” So, was this just another fluke rumor, or did the Bruins finally lock in an official name in white?