Florida State head coach Mike Norvell’s future in Tallahassee hangs in the balance amid plenty of college football hot seat rumors. Could Florida State fire Norvell if things go poorly against Alabama?
Norvell is undoubtedly on the hot seat, but few people outside of Tallahassee expect Florida State to upset Alabama. The Noles entered the game as a 19.5-point underdog against the Crimson Tide, per DraftKings.
Ironically, it was Alabama’s interest in Norvell following Nick Saban’s retirement that prompted Florida State to sign the coach to an eight-year, $84 million contract extension in 2024, per Yahoo Sports.
Norvell’s salary for 2026 is $10.3 million, but this number is slated to rise every year up to $11.05 million in 2031, per USA Today. The Florida State coach’s buyout is $46.7 million if Norvell is fired before December 1, 2026.
Will Florida State Fire Mike Norvell After Alabama Game?
Ahead of the Florida State-Alabama game, the program fired athletic director Michael Alford. This appeared to signal the end is near for Norvell, but not everyone is convinced.
Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger revealed that Norvell’s seat may not be as hot as the college football rumors indicate.
“I’m sure I’m going to say something that’s going to shock people,” Dellenger explained in a September 16, episode of “College Football Enquirer.” “But I know that it signals that the coach is going to get fired, when the AD gets fired and when the coach is going into this kind of year.
“And all I can do is convey what I’ve heard the university president and the board chair tell other people at the university, which is that they really like the coach and don’t necessarily want to pay $50 million (buyout) to fire the coach,” Dellenger added.
“… What isn’t as obvious from at least the people making the decision, like the president and the board chair and some of the board members, is that the coach (is) going to be fired. I know from the outside, it’s like obvious. It seems like that has to happen, but they’re conveying something differently.”
Florida State Coach Mike Norvell Could Start 2-5 as Hot Seat Rumors Heat Up
Following Alabama, Florida State plays the following teams on their upcoming schedule: Central Arkansas (September 26), Virginia (October 3), Louisville (October 9) and Miami (October 17). There is a realistic scenario where Florida State begins the season 2-5, prompting even more potential questions about Norvell’s future if the coach makes it that far.
The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman reported that it appears to be only a matter of time before Florida State cuts ties with Norvell. Additionally, there is some buzz that Florida State could explore a reunion with former coach Jimbo Fisher, per Feldman.
“It’s starting to feel like a matter of when, not if, Florida State will make a coaching change this season,” Feldman wrote in a September 18, story titled, “Jimbo Fisher-FSU reunion? ‘Out of sync’ Oregon? What we’re hearing in CFB.”
“… One interesting development we’ve heard recently is the prospect of former Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher returning to take over the program,” Feldman added.
“The 60-year-old Fisher, who led the Seminoles to the national title to cap the 2013 season and then oversaw the beginning of the program’s backslide a few years later before taking the Texas A&M job, really wants the job, we’ve heard.”
Will Florida State Fire Mike Norvell? FSU Coach’s Buyout & Contract