New FSU Rumors on Jimbo Fisher Amid Mike Norvell Hot Seat, Contract Buyout Buzz

Sometimes you have to go backward to go forward.

With Florida State off to a 1-1 start this season after going a combined 7-17 the last two years under Mike Norvell, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic reported the ACC program is "looking into the possibility" of bringing back former head coach Jimbo Fisher should it fire Norvell.

Fisher was the head coach of the Seminoles from 2010 until 2017, when he left to take over at Texas A&M.

While he struggled to establish Texas A&M as a national contender with a 45-25 record across six seasons that ended with his firing and an approximately $77 million buyout, he led Florida State to an 83-23 record and won the national championship for the 2013 campaign.

"Jimbo's rosters didn't stink," a source told Feldman. "His ability to adapt to modern football is what caught up with him."

Feldman noted Florida State "wasn't aggressive at all in the portal this offseason with a nod toward saving its money for something else down the road. That something else could be paying some of the near $50 million the school would owe Norvell if he were fired."

He also suggested Fisher may be more willing to direct some of the money that would otherwise be used to hire a new coach toward improving the roster given the size of his buyout with the Aggies.

It would be something of a shocking move, but things have also trended in the wrong direction for Florida State since Fisher left.

Willie Taggart didn't even last two full seasons while going 9-12, and Norvell has been unable to replicate the brief success he enjoyed in 2022 and 2023 when he went a combined 23-4. Since then, the Seminoles went 2-10 in 2024 and 5-7 in 2025.

They have fallen behind Miami inside their own state and face a daunting schedule with matchups against nationally ranked foes in Alabama, Virginia, Louisville and the Hurricanes all before November.

If they struggle during that stretch, they may turn back to a familiar face.