With a career record spanning six seasons, Wake Forest coach Jake Dickert anchors Tier One of Tomahawk Nation’s latest Florida State coaching hot board as the search in Tallahassee accelerates following the departure of Mike Norvell and Tony White.
Tomahawk Nation reported that Dickert stands among the top choices for the position, though his candidacy brings a complicating factor involving non-compete clauses tied to several of his assistant coaches and staffers. That contractual hurdle means Florida State could face a higher overall financial investment to buy out the staff members Dickert intends to bring to Tallahassee.
“I made it clear that I’m happy here,” Manny Diaz told media after the Norvell news broke, though such remarks rarely quiet speculation as the Duke head coach joins Dickert in the top tier of candidates.
Dickert and Diaz are scheduled to square off on the gridiron during the final weekend of November, providing a high-stakes showcase for Florida State fans if athletic director Jeff Purinton has not yet finalized a hire by then. Another subplot involves Ben Arbuckle, Dickert’s former offensive coordinator at Washington State who was recently let go by Oklahoma, suggesting a potential reunion.
Dickert compiled a winning record across four seasons at Washington State, highlighted by an 8-4 campaign in 2024 as an FBS independent. He immediately elevated Wake Forest upon his arrival in 2025, guiding the Demon Deacons to a 9-4 record in his debut year before starting the current season at 7-1 overall and 5-1 in the ACC.
Yet skeptics point to Wake Forest’s 42-7 loss to Florida State in 2025 as a potential red flag, alongside his lack of experience coaching at a powerhouse of FSU’s historical stature. Having played at the Division III level and spent his early career below the FBS tier before joining Wyoming as a safeties coach in 2017, Dickert would face a steep upward trajectory in Tallahassee.
Diaz offers deeper ties to the program as an FSU alumnus who began his coaching career as a graduate assistant under Bobby Bowden during the 1998 and 1999 seasons, earning a spot on the 1999 national championship staff. The 52-year-old Miami native has engineered a career revival at Duke, securing back-to-back nine-win seasons, an outright ACC title in 2025, and a Sun Bowl victory.
At the same time, Diaz’s tenure at Miami ended with a 21-15 record over three seasons that left portions of the fan base eager for a change. Diaz signed an extension in April running through the 2031 season, making any potential buyout an expensive proposition for an FSU administration already managing financial obligations to its previous staff.
Georgia defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann rounds out the primary group of names, bringing an extensive championship pedigree forged under Nick Saban and Kirby Smart. Schumann helped orchestrate a dominant defensive display in Georgia’s 42-7 victory over Ole Miss, anchoring a unit that ranked 10th nationally in 2025 and 23rd in 2024 after leading the country in scoring and rushing defense during a four-year stretch from 2019 to 2022.
Schumann has also proven himself as an elite recruiter, securing commitments from 13 five-star prospects and winning head-to-head battles against FSU for players such as Nakobe Dean, Raylen Wilson, Daylen Everette, and Channing Tindall. However, having spent seasons embedded within Smart’s defensive framework in Athens, hiring Schumann represents a calculated gamble on whether his success can translate independently outside the shadow of the Georgia head coach.
