FSU coach tests positive
Florida State football coach Mike Norvell announced Saturday that he has tested positive for coronavirus.
Norvell is feeling fine, according to the Seminoles. Deputy head coach Chris Thomsen will lead the team in Norvell’s absence, including next week at Miami.
Norvell said in a statement that he received a positive result Friday after a pair of negative tests earlier in the week. He is isolating, and his wife and daughter are also quarantining, even though neither one has tested positive.
“My result was surprising to me, but we have prepared for a potential positive result among anyone in our program and we will put that plan in place while I am away,” Norvell said. “I will remain involved remotely as much as possible to help our team continue to prepare.”
FSU athletic director David Coburn called the news “unfortunate” but that Norvell was feeling okay. Coburn said FSU is “proceeding with our Covid protocols as we would with any other case.” That includes normal contact tracing by the university’s staff.
Coburn said FSU has been in touch with Miami athletic director Blake James and ACC commissioner John Swofford about the issue.
“At this point, based on our testing this week, we have no reason to believe that the Miami game is in jeopardy.”
But that 7:30 p.m. game at Hard Rock Stadium will take place without Norvell. His status beyond that, including an Oct. 3 home game against Jacksonville State, is unclear.
Norvell, 38, took over
FSU in December after four successful seasons at Memphis. His Seminoles lost their opener 16-13 at home to Georgia Tech last Saturday and are off this week.
Instead, Thomsen will lead FSU against the rival Hurricanes. The Seminoles hired the 51-year-old Texas native to be their tight ends coach. He previously served as the head coach at Abilene Christian from 2005-11. He went 51-21 there with six consecutive trips to the Division II playoffs and earning Lone Star Conference coach of the year honors four times.
FAU OPENER ON HOLD
Willie Taggart’s Florida Atlantic debut will have to wait at least another week after the Owls’ season opener at Georgia Southern was postponed Friday because of a coronavirus outbreak.
“Following results of Thursday’s COVID-19 testing, it was determined the Owls would be unable to play Saturday,” the school said in a statement.
Florida Atlantic is the first state school to have to postpone or call off a game because of positive tests. Other games have previously been canceled after conferences changed their policies to try to salvage a season during the coronavirus pandemic.
The news comes three days after the Owls had to call off practice because of multiple positive tests
The postponement of this weekend’s game means that Taggart’s first game at his new school could come next week against one of his former schools, USF.
The Owls are scheduled to host USF at 6 p.m., but that, of course, is subject to change during the pandemic. Florida Atlantic said it’s trying to find a new date to play Georgia Southern.