Tony White reportedly accepts offer to become Florida State DC

Nebraska defensive coordinator Tony White has accepted an offer to become Florida State’s next DC, per a report from Rivals national analyst Greg Smith.

White isn’t the only Husker staffer that will depart the program. Smith also reports that defensive line coach Terrance Knighton will join White at Florida State.

White spent the past two seasons at Nebraska. In his first season in Lincoln, 2023, White was one of 57 nominees for the Broyles Award, which is handed out annually to the top assistant coach in college football. That was the second consecutive season he was a nominee, as he also earned the recognition in 2022 at Syracuse, where he spent three seasons from 2020-22 under former head coach Dino Babers.

White’s unit in 2024 finished the regular season 14th in the country in rush defense (105.75), 23rd in yards per carry (3.49) and 19th in both scoring defense (19.8) and total defense (315.4). Nebraska did not allow a rushing touchdown in seven home games this season.

White’s unit in 2023 had the program’s best statistical season since joining the Big Ten in 2011. That season the Huskers ranked in the top 20 nationally in rushing defense (92.92, 9th), total defense (303.5, 11th) and scoring defense (19.8, 20th). The Blackshirts also ranked among the nation’s five most-improved teams in rushing defense and total defense while boasting the 11th most-improved scoring defense.

After the 2023 season, White was a candidate for the head coaching jobs at UCLA and San Diego State and the USC defensive coordinator role. He stayed at NU and was given a pay increase to $1.6 million.

After the departure of defensive backs coach Evan Cooper in July, head coach Matt Rhule made a slash hire of John Butler, who spent the past 13 seasons in the NFL and the last six as the Buffalo Bills’ secondary coach and pass game coordinator.

Butler, as well as inside linebackers coach Rob Dvoracek, would be candidates for Nebraska’s next DC if Rhule wants to stay in-house.

After going undefeated in the 2023 regular season and winning an ACC championship, Florida State had a disastrous 2024 campaign that resulted in a 2-10 record. On Nov. 10 head coach Mike Norvell fired three of his assistants, including OC/offensive line coach Alex Atkins, DC Adam Fuller and wide receivers coach Ron Dugans.

Fuller had been the Seminoles’ DC since 2020. He signed a three-year contract extension following the 2023 season that gave him a pay bump to $2 million for 2024 and 2025.

While White and Norvell have never coached together on the same staff, both have spent time at Arizona State. Norvell spent 2012-15 in Tempe as its OC and quarterbacks coach while White spent 2018-19 as the Sun Devils’ cornerbacks coach and defensive coordinator.

This is the second consecutive season a Nebraska staffer has left Lincoln for Tallahassee. Following the 2023 season, defensive quality control coach and former Rhule player at Temple, Phil Simpson, joined Florida State as a defensive analyst. Simpson is a Miami native and accomplished high school coach in the state.