Patience or change? FSU football faces tough call with Mike Norvell

Perhaps a reversion to the old way of thinking could serve college football right.

Sep 20, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell before the game against the Kent State Golden Flashes at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

Florida State head coach Mike Norvell is 2-13 in his last 15 games against power conference opponents. Who would've thought that would be the case after a 13-1 2023 season?

No one.

That's why Norvell was granted a massive extension and buyout clause in hopes of deterring other schools from scooping the young, successful head coach from Tallahassee.

In a move that attempted to secure the football program's future, it could've shattered it.

With a 3-4 start to the season (after starting the year 3-0 with a victory over Alabama), the Seminoles have yet to win an ACC game since their lone power conference victory last season against Cal at home.

READ MORE: Tony White addresses sideline blow up with Mike Norvell and FSU's Edwin Joseph

It seemed for a little bit that a change at the head coaching position would be on the horizon, but FSU athletic director Michael Alford said that Florida State would be sticking with Norvell through at least the end of the season.

Did Michael Alford Make The Right Choice By Keeping Mike Norvell Through The 2025 Season?

Florida State vice president and athletics director Michael Alford (right), football head coach Mike Norvell (middle) and baseball head coach Link Jarrett talk pregame during opening day against James Madison on Feb. 17, 2023, at Dick Howser Stadium. Fsujmubaseball1 1 Of 1 | Ehsan Kassim/Tallahassee Democrat / USA TODAY NETWORK

As On3's Brett McMurphy pointed out in a recent article, legendary coaches such as Mack Brown and Frank Beamer would've almost certainly been fired by today's coaching standards due to a string of subpar records during their early days, but their programs obviously benefited from their patience.

Beamer went 2-8-1 in his sixth season with the Virginia Tech Hokies.

Seminole fans could wake up in 10 years with Norvell as their head coach and humbly laugh at themselves for even thinking of getting rid of the guy. Or they can fire him now (by December) and attempt to start over, all over again.

With a buyout as large as Norvell's, the question becomes this:

If a coach can bring programs out of the darkness and attempt to compete for conference championships (which Norvell has already done) despite having poor previous seasons, doesn't it make sense to give him at least one more shot?

The 2024 team wouldn't not have sniffed beating 'Bama with a 30-foot pole. However, the results on the field in the last four weeks have not looked pretty.

So, the next question becomes, is the FSU brand and what it represents in the college football landscape and marketplace more important than the financial health of the program itself?

That is for the administration, the fans, and the big whig donors to decide.

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READ MORE: FSU athletic director makes stunning statement on Mike Norvell’s future

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