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Will Florida State fire Mike Norvell?
Florida State football coach Mike Norvell is entering a make-or-break season in Tallahassee. He will be fired if progress is not shown.
The coach’s buyout will be just north of $45 million at season’s end. Preseason practice reviews don’t provide much confidence that the Seminoles will be spared that expense.
There’s been little optimism surrounding the program this offseason as it’s gone 7-17 across the last two seasons. If Norvell fails to get to at least .500 this year, he will likely be shown the door.
Preseason practice preparations, reportedly, aren’t painting the picture of a turnaround.
Florida State football is sloppy.
According to Brian Smith of Locked On Seminoles, things are dire. Reviews from practice sessions have been subpar. There are frustrations from players. The team’s demonstrated a lack of consistency.
It’s a major concern.
Smith’s sources have told him that Florida State’s most recent practices have been sloppy. He alluded to fights. Communication has been an issue. All in all, he described it as a “debilitating” brand of football.
Smith worries that mental lapses in practice will lead to mental mistakes in games. He also believes the problem starts at the top.
“Lack of leadership, and not enough guys bought in,” he said of potential reasoning. “It’s probably a combination… That just can’t happen when you’re coming off a five-win season.”
These are issues that will need to be figured out quickly. Florida State does not have the luxury of easing into the college football season. They will start earlier than most with a Week 0 matchup. They then face SMU and Alabama in consecutive contests.
What will happen to Mike Norvell?
The coach has gone from hero to zero in a matter of two seasons. The Seminoles went 13-1 in 2023 and controversially missed out on a national championship opportunity. Since, they’ve lost 70% of their games.
That included a 2-10 campaign in ’24, which was followed by last year’s 5-7 season.
Florida State got one of the tougher draws in the ACC, having to face each of the top four programs in the preseason media day standings. They also get a pair of SEC opponents out of conference. They may not be favored in any of those six contests.
There are two “gimmes.” The rest are toss-ups. Another 5-7 result is certainly on the table.
Calls for Mike Norvell’s job were loud last year. Ultimately, a $55 million buyout saved him for another season. That payment goes down significantly after 2026.
According to On3, Norvell’s buyout terms read as follows:
- Buyout drops to $45.6 million after the 2026 season
- Buyout drops to $36.8 million after the 2027 season
- Buyout drops to $27.7 million after the 2028 season
- Buyout drops to $18.5 million after the 2029 season
- Buyout drops to $9.3 million after the 2030 season
After a loss to 2-4 Stanford last season, boosters reportedly discussed their options on the cross-country trip home. There was support to make a move. Ultimately, it didn’t happen.
Mike Norvell might not survive a repeat performance. He’ll look to clean up the practice mistakes and get moving in an upward trajectory.