Mike Norvell entered the season on the hot seat. After two disappointing games, that seat may no longer exist. With Alabama and a brutal stretch ahead, Florida State may be at the point where the question is no longer if Norvell will be fired, but when.
When Mike Norvell walked out of Doak Campbell Stadium on Tuesday night following yet another disappointing loss, the echoes of “Fire Norvell” chants from the departing student section were hard to miss.
The good news for Norvell? He won’t have to hear those chants for a few weeks, with Florida State (1-1, 0-1) heading into a bye before a trip to Tuscaloosa.
The bad news? The hot seat Norvell entered the season sitting on already appears to be going up in flames, with Alabama looming as the game that could finally push Florida State’s leadership to come together, reset its vision, and redirect the football program.
After just two games, the conversation around Norvell has shifted from whether he is on the hot seat to whether he can survive the season. The question is no longer if Florida State will make a change, but when.
Two disappointing performances to start the year have pushed the conversation from “if” to “when.” But SMU may ultimately be the game that forces the administration’s hand, leaving Florida State to decide whether it is willing to find the approximately $49 million needed for Norvell’s buyout, give fans what they want, and move on.
SMU at Florida State took center stage in Week 1 as a standalone Monday night game. By the time it ended early Tuesday morning, Seminoles fans left feeling like they were watching Groundhog Day, with the same problems surfacing.
The offense Norvell took over play-calling duties for in the off-season looked anemic at times, struggling on third down, lacking consistency in the passing game, and showing little creativity.
For the defense, the problems have been much the same through the first two games: surrendering explosive plays, allowing third-down conversions, and struggling to slow down opposing passing attacks.
With each big play and missed throw, the frustration inside Doak Campbell Stadium grew closer to its breaking point. When it finally reached it, whatever belief remained that Norvell could deliver a season capable of returning Florida State to national relevance has disappear into the Southern air.
And now, with one foot out the door and fans waiting for someone to finally push him the rest of the way out and shut it behind him, Norvell is about to face the toughest stretch of the season.
Coming out of the bye, Florida State heads to No. 12 Alabama (1-0), a team looking to avenge last year’s disappointing loss. The Seminoles then return home for what will likely be their only game as favorites, taking on Central Arkansas on Sept. 26.
The following week, they face No. 25 Virginia (1-0, 1-0), which looked excellent in its Week 0 opener, before heading into back-to-back road games against No. 24 Louisville (1-0) on Oct. 9 and in-state rival Miami (1-0) on Oct. 17.
It’s a brutal stretch with four of the five games against teams ranked in the Top 25.
Given how Florida State has looked so far, it’s difficult to see how Norvell survives this stretch. Clay Travis has already pointed to the Miami game as the one that could finally push Florida State to make a move.
“Just put a pin in that at the Miami game,” Travis said. “If Florida State loses the games that you would anticipate them losing.”
Aaron Torres didn’t specifically point to Miami, but he painted a bleak picture for anyone who still believes Norvell can find a way to turn things around.
“The next five are basically impossible,” Torres said. “And I don't think Mike Norvell gets to the back half of the schedule to even have the opportunity to coach his way off of the hot seat.”
With approximately $100 million at stake by the time Florida State pays the buyouts, hires an entirely new staff, and provides the resources a new coach will need, making a coaching change will require every level of university leadership to be aligned and working toward the same goal if the move is going to happen.
The question now becomes whether Florida State is willing to pay the buyout and absorb everything else that comes with bringing in a new staff.
If it isn’t, the Seminoles could find themselves searching for a Ferrari while only willing to pay the price of a used 1998 Ford Escort. And if that’s the approach, the success Florida State fans have come to expect could fade into the sunset alongside the program’s hopes of becoming nationally relevant again.
