Mike Norvell Won't Be Fired, FSU to Review Team After Season amid Contract Buyout Info

Florida State athletic director Michael Alford signaled the school's commitment to coach Mike Norvell for the rest of the 2025 season but said a "comprehensive assessment of the football program" will follow.

"We rightfully have high expectations in everything we do to represent Florida State in the manner that built our reputation as one of college football's best programs, cultivating an extraordinary group of supporters nationally and globally," Alford said. "We embrace those expectations while also sharing the deep disappointment when results on the field are short of that standard."

This comes as Florida State extended its losing streak to four games thanks to a 20-13 defeat at Stanford. Were the Seminoles to move on from Norvell in another month or so, the buyout fee alone would be in excess of $50 million.

On3's Pete Nakos reported Sunday that "momentum continues to build from Florida State decision makers to move on." Nakos also noted that the total cost of firing Norvell and his assistants on top of hiring a new coaching staff would be $100 million.

Texas A&M poached Mike Elko from Duke in November 2023 with a contract worth $42 million. Jedd Fisch got $54.3 million to jump ship from Arizona to Washington later that same offseason. North Carolina shelled out $50 million for Bill Belichick this past offseason.

In order to hire a worthy candidate, $40 million to $50 million is a reasonable range for the next FSU head coach, which doesn't factor in the combined earnings from his other assistants.

For university administrators and boosters, a nine-figure all-in investment might be worth it to stop the Seminoles' slide.

FSU is 1-11 in ACC play between 2024 and 2025, and the program is on track to miss a bowl game for the fourth time in Norvell's six years.

When the Noles put together an unbeaten regular season in 2023, it looked like Norvell was turning a corner after a rocky start. Instead, the decline is even more precipitous than in the period after the 2013 title run under Jimbo Fisher.

A $50-plus million buyout would be the second-biggest in college football history, eclipsing the $49 million James Franklin can receive from Penn State. Still, A&M wrote an even larger check to Fisher (almost $77 million), and it's probably not regretting that decision. The Aggies are 7-0 and potentially bound for the College Football Playoff in Elko's second year.

If things keep trending where they're going for Florida State, that "comprehensive review" will probably have an obvious conclusion.