Florida State is undergoing a major, abrupt staffing change. Gus Malzahn announced his shocking retirement from college football, opening the offensive coordinator position at Tallahassee. The Seminoles have promoted former WR coach Tim Harris Jr. to replace the veteran as their new OC.

Harris Jr. brings a decade’s worth of experience as a college football coach, but also made a name for himself in the high school circuit. Interestingly, Tim Harris Jr. also comes from a football family. Here’s what we know about the up-and-coming coach set to take on a big responsibility.

Who is Tim Harris Jr.?

Tim Harris Jr. is a Hurricane Hall of Famer, but did not play football here. Instead, he remains one of the school’s most accomplished track and field athletes. Harris Jr. became a six-time champion in ACC events. His 800-meter school record is yet to be broken by Hurricane athletes.

Harris Jr. is known for creating some of the best offenses in the country. He delivered an extremely productive unit during his FIU stint, helping the program beat Miami for the first time in 2019. He also coached NFL stars Anthony Jones and Napoleon Maxwell.  In 2018, the coach broke the program record for single-season rushing touchdowns with 27 scores. Harris Jr. made a massive impact during Gus Malzahn’s tenure at UCF, leading an offense that finished eighth in the country.

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The biggest advantage Tim Harris Jr. brings to the OC role at FSU is his familiarity with Gus Malzahn. As a former track star and his experience as RB coach, Harris Jr. will have a big impact on the Seminoles’ rushing attack. He ran an experienced O-line and a balanced ground game during his time at UCF, which was also seen during his phenomenal time at FIU. He will now be in charge of handling a Seminole offense that finished sixth in the country in 2025, averaging 478.1 yards.

Meet Tim Harris Jr.’s father, Tim ‘Ice’ Harris

Tim Harris Jr. is the son of veteran South Florida high school coach Tim ‘Ice’ Harris. He began his coaching journey in 1986 and retired in 2025. In these 39 years. Harris has coached at schools like Miami Central and Miami Northwestern and briefly spent some time with the Hurricanes as an assistant. He worked at Coral Gables from 2008 to 2010 under Randy Shannon and once again in 2013 during the Al Golden era.

But Harris is known for his successes at Booker T. Washington High, the very school where his son is also famous as a coach. The senior Harris brought three state championships to the Tornadoes. He came close to winning a fourth title in 2024, but the team lost in the semi-finals. Harris Jr. took over for his father in 2014 and maintained the consistency, posting a 14-0 record to win the Class 2A state championship.

Who are Tim Harris Jr.’s brothers?

Tim Harris has some NFL links via his brother, Brandon. The latter was picked by the Texans in the second round of the 2011 draft. He was with the franchise until 2014. Brandon also spent some time with the Titans and the Dolphins, but never got playing time. He moved to Canada briefly to play in the CFL with the Toronto Argonauts and won the Grey Cup in 2017.

Brandon Harris is now with the Florida Gators and is in charge of the cornerbacks. He kicked off his coaching career on a great note at FIU, where he developed Richard Dames Sr. as an All-Conference cornerback in the 2021 season. After another impressive stint at Florida Atlantic, he joined the Gators in December 2025. During his hiring, there was some confusion about where he was actually headed. Multiple publications had reported that he was heading to FSU to be reunited with his brother. Instead, Brandon Harris went to the rival side.

Tim Harris Jr. has another younger brother, Treon Harris. He was the quarterback of the Washington teams that won state titles in 2012 and 2013. Treon eventually played at Florida and had a great start as a freshman with 1,019 passing yards and 9 touchdowns. Later on, he began to slip in his career and lost his starting job to Will Grier towards the end of the 2015 season. Unfortunately, Treon Harris was suspended from the team ahead of the 2016 season, which prompted him to transfer to Tennessee State. Here, he transitioned to wide receiver. Not much is known about Treon Harris’ current whereabouts.

Who are Tim Harris Jr.’s wife and children?

Tim Harris Jr.’s wife is Nicolette, aka Dr. Nikki Harris. She is an athletic trainer and an Associate Professor and Director of Student Recruiting at the A.T. Still University. She holds a double doctorate and volunteers with her local football circuit. She and Tim are parents to two children, Timothy and Tailor.

What are Tim Harris Jr.’s nationality and ethnicity?

Tim Harris Jr. is a Miami native. He grew up in South Florida and is an American citizen.

Tim Harris Jr. is now in an important position in his career and is tasked with bringing some spark to a talented FSU offense. As Mike Norvell navigates the ultra-important 2026 season, the new OC has to step up and spark some life into a team that seems to have hit a slump. His records show that he has been able to do so at a high level, which is something fans should definitely look up to even after Malzahn left.