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FSU Football Coach Tests Positive For COVID-19

An aerial photo of a red brick football stadium. Green trees are in the back ground below a blue sky with white fluffy clouds.
Erich Martin
Doak Campbell Stadium at FSU

Florida State University’s head football coach, Mike Norvell, has tested positive for the coronavirus.

Norvell announced his test results in a press release Saturday. He says the results stem from a test he took Friday, after receiving two negative results from tests he had taken earlier in the week.

“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. I will remain involved remotely as much as possible to help our team continue to prepare,” Norvell wrote in the statement.

Norvell says his wife and daughter tested negative for the virus, but are quarantining out of caution.

FSU Athletics Director David Coburn said in a statement while the results aren’t ideal, he’s pleased Norvell is feeling well.

“Coach is isolated, and university tracing staff is handling the contact tracing as they normally do. We will continue to test staff and student-athletes as we have been,” Coburn said. “We have communicated with Commissioner John Swofford and Miami Athletics Director Blake James. At this point, based on our testing this week, we have no reason to believe that the Miami game is in jeopardy.”

The Seminoles will face off against the Miami Hurricanes Sept. 26. Deputy head coach Chris Thomsen will take over in-person coaching duties while Norvell and his family quarantine.

Follow @Regan_McCarthy

Regan McCarthy is the Assistant News Director for WFSU Public Media. Before coming to Tallahassee, Regan graduated with honors from Indiana University’s Ernie Pyle School of Journalism. She worked for several years for NPR member station WFIU in Bloomington, Ind., where she covered local and state government and produced feature and community stories.

Phone: (850) 645-6090 | rmccarthy@fsu.edu

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