There is no coaching seat in college football hotter than that of Florida State coach Mike Norvell. 17 losses over the past two seasons has seen his coaching chair spontaneously combust. But a shortfall of cash at FSU could extinguish those flames, and the hopes of the fanbase for a coaching change.
The Florida State athletic administration has issued an edict to coach Mike Norvell.
In the simplest of terms, “put your football mouth where our money is.” The university and boosters have done their part, funding hundreds of millions of dollars in renovations to athletic facilities. Now it is beyond time for Norvell and his Seminoles football squad to produce a winning product on the field.
Unfortunately, for Florida State fans, "winning product" has not been a part of Norvell’s lexicon during his tenure, posting just two winning seasons since taking the helm in the COVID season of 2020. The undefeated regular season of 2023 and the 10-3 season of 2022 being the outliers, Florida State has not lived up to the tradition of gridiron excellence and winning football that was established by the late Bobby Bowden and continued by Jimbo Fisher.
17 losses over the past two seasons have left a bitter taste in the mouths of Seminoles fans. If you poll the people on social media, the fans are ready to move on from the worst period of Florida State football since going 4-29 in the pre-Bowden era of 1973-1975.
But simple economics may keep the fans from witnessing a leadership change. According to a story by Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, Norvell being issued a pink slip and shown the door has a steep price attached to it: around $45-$50 million.
Add that buyout cost to the money spent on facilities renovations, and it appears that Florida State cannot afford to let Norvell go. Their coffers might be empty. Unless someone steps forward with a creative financing alternative, the university and the fans could be stuck with Norvell for the foreseeable future.
So, the only thing left for Norvell to do is to change the perception of himself and his team. Go out against the gauntlet of a schedule they must navigate this season and win some football games. That gauntlet of teams shows up on Sep. 7 when Florida State hosts the SMU Mustangs.
The Mustangs have enjoyed great success under coach Rhett Lashlee, going 36-18 during his tenure. SMU returns its starting quarterback in Kevin Jennings, and the rest of their returning talent puts the Mustangs squarely as one of the top two teams in the ACC, behind only the Miami Hurricanes.
After a bye week, the Seminoles travel to Tuscaloosa to battle No. 13 Alabama, the lowest- ranked Alabama team since the 2008 season. Coach Kalen DeBoer has named talented, but inexperienced sophomore Keelon Russell as his starting quarterback.
If Norvell and the Seminoles can go 1-1 against SMU and Alabama, that could set the tone for a successful season, and possibly silence the critics. But if they go 0-2 against those teams before the calendar changes to October, then it could be a long season for Seminoles fans.
Should Florida State find that creative financing option to fund Norvell’s buyout, do they let him go mid-season? Or let the season play out? The Seminoles do have an option on the staff for an interim head coach, and that is assistant Tom Herman. Herman achieved success as a head coach with the Houston Cougars and the Texas Longhorns.
After the season, a long-term coaching search would certainly include Herman and former Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher. There are several talented coordinators out there that could be elevated to head coaching status, including LSU offensive coordinator Charlie Weiss Jr. But that is a peek way too far into the future before the first snap of the season is taken.
Right now, the best thing for Norvell to do is lead his team to as many victories as he can. He has the talent, and the team has come together and exited fall camp with a new mindset and ready to erase the memories of the last two seasons, and set a new example of winning football at Florida State.
