College Football HQ

$72 million coach on hot seat will reportedly keep head coaching job

Joe Cox|
Florida State coach Mike Norvell has endured a difficult 2025 season, but FSU is committed to returning him for 2026.
Florida State coach Mike Norvell has endured a difficult 2025 season, but FSU is committed to returning him for 2026. | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

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Florida State Seminoles

While coach firing season is heating up, not all schools are cutting ties with high-dollar head coaches. In a world of massive eight-figure buyouts, at least one school has made the decision to keep its beleaguered head coach. Florida State will be retaining boss Mike Norvell in Tallahassee. Despite a 2-10 season a year ago and a 5-6 season to date, Florida State will return Norvell (and his massive salary) for the 2026 season.

Norvell's return

Despite Florida State's ugly 21-11 Week 13 loss to NC State, the Seminoles won't be bidding goodbye to Norvell. After a brilliant 2023 season, Norvell signed an extension through 2031. He's reportedly still due over $72 million on his current contract, with just over $10 million per year in salary. With a buyout of 85% of Norvell's salary due, Florida State has made the decision to stick with Norvell.

Norvell's coaching rise

Norvell rose through the ranks as an offensive assistant coach until he became the head coach at Memphis ahead of the 2016 season. Norvell was 38-15 in four seasons at Memphis and had two top 25 seasons with the Tigers.

After Willie Taggart's tepid two seasons at Florida State, Norvell was hired in December 2019 as the head coach at Florida State. Florida State won the 2013 national title, but coach Jimbo Fisher had dipped to 7-6 in 2017 and resigned from the position.

Norvell had a rough 3-6 COVID-shortened 2020 season, but seemed to have FSU on an upward course with a 10-3 season in 2022. Florida State followed with a 13-0 regular season in 2023, but was cut out of the four-team College Football Playoff and then suffered an embarrssing 63-3 loss in the Orange Bowl.

FSU struggles

Since then, FSU is just 7-16 under Norvell's guidance. The 2025 season started in promising fashion with a 31-17 win over Alabama in Week 1. FSU was ranked No. 7 after a 2-0 start, but a 2-6 ACC record has dropped Florida State back again. Florida State followed a 3-0 start by losing four consecutive one-score games. The Seminoles are just 3-13 in the last two seasons in conference play.

Florida State currently has the No. 14 ranked recruiting class for next season, according to 247sports.com. Given that Norvell has one of the largest buyouts in college football, it's certainly likely that the decision to give him another shot is motivated in part by financial considerations. After a brutal season last year, Norvell "donated" $4.5 million back to Florida State for NIL use. However the finances are sorted out, Norvell will be back in Tallahassee next fall for his seventh season.

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Joe Cox
JOE COX

Joe is a journalist and writer who covers college and professional sports. He has written or co-written over a dozen sports books, including several regional best sellers. His last book, A Fine Team Man, is about Jackie Robinson and the lives he changed. Joe has been a guest on MLB Network, the Paul Finebaum show and numerous other television and radio shows. He has been inside MLB dugouts, covered bowl games and conference tournaments with Saturday Down South and still loves telling the stories of sports past and present.

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