Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Fisher has ‘confidence’ in defensive coordinator
TALLAHASSEE — The assistant coaches on Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher’s coaching staff continue to be the subject of heavy scrutiny during the Seminoles on-field struggles after the Jameis Winston era.
While offensive line coach Rick Trickett, receivers coach Lawrence Dawsey and special teams coordinator Jay Graham have all received criticism for FSU’s shortcomings since 2015, defensive coordinator Charles Kelly’s proverbial hot seat was reignited following FSU’s second-half defensive collapse against the Miami Hurricanes last week.
The embattled Seminoles fell to 1-3 this season to start the 2017 season, losing their fourth game in Doak Campbell Stadium in the last two seasons — with two ending in dramatic, lastminute fashion thanks to defensive miscues.
“I have extreme confidence in Charles,” Fisher said of Kelly, who took over as FSU’s defensive coordinator in 2014.
“Charles is a great football coach. He coached a very good game; they made a couple plays at the end. And he’s done a really nice job.
“We’ll continue with Charles being our coordinator, and we’ll go through this year, and hopefully we’ll finish the year very strong.”
Fisher’s endorsement for Kelly, who makes $883,000 with a $2.65 million buyout after the season, was not the way the Seminoles wanted to start their practice week before Saturday’s noon game at Duke.
Last October, the Seminoles fell to eventual No. 2 NFL draft pick Mitch Trubisky and North Carolina on a game-winning drive that produced a last-second field goal, breaking a nation-long 22-game home winning streak. FSU rebounded from a 3-2 start after the game to finish 10-3 last season.
Last Saturday, Miami quarterback Malik Rosier threw a game-winning touchdown to seldom-used receiver Darrell Langham, who was covered by FSU All-American cornerback Tarvarus McFadden, to snap FSU’s 7-game win streak in the series with a 24-20 win.
“The guy had him covered perfectly,” Fisher said of McFadden. “We had them all covered perfectly. They made a tremendous throw and catch.”
Fisher led FSU to its third national championship in 2013 during a run that saw the Seminoles win 29 straight games from the end of the 2012 season to their College Football Playoff elimination in 2014.
After starting the 2015 season with six straight victories, FSU is 13-9 against FBS opponents, with a 6-5 record against Atlantic Coast Conference teams since the start of the 2016 season.
With seven games left this season, FSU leaders Derwin James and center Alec Eberle implored their teammates to continue playing with a sense of urgency to “make the school proud, make everybody proud,” tight end Ryan Izzo said.