$58.7 Million College Football Head Coach Under Fire Amid Hot Seat Rumors

Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell during the fourth quarter against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

Florida State finished 5–7 (2–6 ACC) in 2025, missed a bowl game, and closed the year with a 40–21 loss to 4–8 rival Florida, a second straight losing season after a disastrous 2–10 campaign in 2024 and a stark step back from the program’s 2023 peak.

Mike Norvell was hired in December 2019 and steadily rebuilt the program after the COVID-shortened 2020 season, culminating in an ACC championship and an undefeated regular season in 2023. But the momentum stalled quickly.

The Seminoles have gone just 7–17 over the past two years, erasing much of the goodwill generated during that breakthrough run and putting Norvell on the hot seat entering the 2026 season.

Norvell’s record at Florida State now stands at 38–34 through 2025. His overall head-coaching mark sits near 76–50, including a successful four-year run at Memphis, a resume that blends legitimate high-end success with mounting recent underperformance in Tallahassee.

Norvell’s contract reportedly includes a buyout of approximately $58.7 million, meaning any decision to move on would come at a high financial cost and further elevate the stakes surrounding the 2026 season.

As attention turns to 2026, The Athletic’s Antonio Morales identified Florida State as one of the transfer portal classes “under the most pressure,” arguing that Norvell’s heavy reliance on the portal makes this cycle a potential inflection point for both the coach and the program.

"Norvell has relied on the portal heavily for the past several years. The 2022 and 2023 seasons have demonstrated what it looks like when that method works well. The past two seasons have displayed what happens when it doesn’t," Morales wrote. "With four losing seasons in six years, Norvell desperately needs this portal class to help get the program back on a winning path."

Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell walks on the field before a game against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

As Morales noted, Florida State leaned heavily into the transfer portal, signing several experienced pieces intended to accelerate the program’s recovery.

That group includes former Stanford and Auburn quarterback Ashton Daniels, All-Conference FCS starter Dean DeNobile, All-SEC running back Quintrevion Wisner from Texas, FAU pass-catching back Gemari Sands, and multi-year starting offensive tackle Xavier Chaplin, along with nearly a dozen defensive additions.

The 2026 recruiting class has also graded well nationally. According to 247Sports, Florida State ranks No. 18 nationally and No. 2 in the ACC at the time of reporting, with several high-rated in-state prospects already enrolled or committed.

Among the headliners are four-star cornerback Chauncey Kennon (No. 6 CB nationally), four-star linebacker Izayia Williams (No. 14 LB), and four-star wide receiver Efrem White (No. 19 WR), reinforcing a renewed emphasis on elite in-state retention.

In short, FSU has assembled tangible roster upgrades, notably experienced transfer skill talent, offensive line reinforcements, and a strong 2026 high school class, but those additions raise expectations rather than lower them.

Read More at College Football HQ

• Paul Finebaum Claims NCAA ‘Completely Bungled’ $1.6 million QB’s Eligibility Case

• $12.5 Million QB Expected to Become One of College Football’s Most Impactful Players

• $2.3 Million QB Pressured to be a Superstar at Major College Football Program

• $87 Million Head Coach Predicted to Replace Dabo Swinney at College Football Powerhouse