FSU expected to make new support staff hire with connections to South Florida
The Seminoles are expected to hire a new support staffer with strong ties to an important recruiting region
ZACH BLOSTEIN3 hrsVIP29
Florida State had some turnover in their support staff department following their 13-1 season in 2023.
Shane Burnham held a defensive line analyst role in Tallahassee for the past few seasons but departed the program within the last few months.
Noles247 has learned that FSU has its likely replacement for that role. Sources indicate that
Phil Simpson is the expected hire. Simpson spent the 2023 football season as a defensive quality control analyst at Nebraska.
Prior to that Simpson was the head coach at Homestead High School in Miami, Florida. He led the prominent South Florida program from 2019 to 2022. In his final season with the Broncos, Simpson led his squad to the 2022 Class 3M state championship game, the school’s first state title game.
He was named the Miami Herald Coach of the Year in 2021, leading the Broncos to a 23-4 record in his final two seasons at head coach.
Two current FSU football players played for Simpson in high school. Redshirt sophomore defensive tackle
Daniel Lyons and redshirt sophomore defensive end
Dante Anderson were both standout players for Simpson.
While at Nebraska, Simpson helped the Cornhuskers win some important recruiting battles in South Florida. The Cornhuskers signed five players from Miami, Florida in their 2024 recruiting class.
Simpson played a big role in helping the 'Huskers beat out Miami for Miami Palmetto four-star wide receiver
Jacory Barney. He also helped them land players like Miami linebacker decommitment
Vincent Shavers, Miami Columbus (Fla.) three-star edge rusher
Willis McGahee IV, Miami Norland (Fla.) three-star cornerback
Larry Tarver Jr. and Miami (Fla.) Gulliver Prep three-star defensive back
Amare Sanders.
This hire makes a ton of sense for the Seminoles as head coach Mike Norvell has stressed from the very beginning of his tenure in Tallahassee that recruiting South Florida at a high level will be of utmost importance to his operation.