Florida State’s coaching search is already circling a familiar SEC name, and Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz has emerged as one of the early candidates to watch.
On3’s Pete Nakos included Drinkwitz among the top options Florida State could consider as the program looks to replace a freshly fired Mike Norvell. Drinkwitz passed on leaving Missouri during the chaos of the last coaching carousel, but his profile fits what FSU may be chasing.
“For the sixth consecutive season, Missouri has won at least six games,” Nakos detailed on Sunday. “For a program that struggled to find its footing in the SEC before Eli Drinkwitz’s arrival, the head coach has brought stability to the Tigers.
“The former App State head coach has won 10 or more games twice with the Tigers, and he is now 35-12 in his last four seasons,” Nakos added.
“His ability to win without the most resources in the SEC should make him an attractive target. He was a name of note in multiple coaching searches last offseason and is 64-32 all-time as a head coach.”
The money side of Florida State’s search is no small part of the story. Norvell’s buyout is said to top $50 million, and Nakos reported the Seminoles could be looking at a bill near $100 million once that figure is combined with the cost of hiring a new staff.
That doesn’t even include the NIL boost Florida State would likely need to offer to make the job more appealing. The program that once sat near the top of college football’s job market now has to prove it can still compete financially in the NIL era.
Drinkwitz, meanwhile, is not exactly sitting on an inexpensive contract. Missouri announced in Nov. 2025 that he had signed a new six-year deal worth $10.75 million per year, pushing the total value to $64.5 million through the 2031 season. If he were to leave Missouri before Dec. 1, he would owe a $5 million buyout, per 247Sports.
His résumé keeps growing, too. Heading into the 2026 season, Drinkwitz had won 29 games over the previous three years at Missouri, and the Tigers are off to another solid 6-2 start this season.
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, Eli Lederman and Max Olson reported that Florida State would have to make a strong pitch if it wants to pull Drinkwitz away from Columbia.
“Drinkwitz likely would leave the SEC only for one of the better jobs in another league, and Florida State would have to sell him on its roster budget and overall investment in the program,” Rittenberg, Lederman and Olson noted on Sunday.
“The 43-year-old has shown he can recruit and succeed with portal players. He also has a clear vision for how he runs a program.”
In Other News...
Florida State Search May Be Telling Fans Something About Deion
Florida States coaching search is starting to sketch out the kind of profile the school may be after, and Deion Sanders appears to be moving off that board. The Seminoles are weighing a high-stakes hire, but the early read is that they want more than name recognition and recruiting buzz when they choose the next leader of the program.
Sanders run at Colorado has brought attention, but it has also come with plenty of questions about roster management and results in conference play. For Florida State, those issues seem to matter as much as the star power, along with the financial side of any potential deal, which suggests the search may be narrowing toward a very different type of candidate. [Read more 🡒]
Dabo Just Weighed In On FSU Fans Going After Mike Norvell
Florida States rough season has already put Mike Norvell under a harsh spotlight, and the frustration around the program spilled into the air above Doak Campbell Stadium when a banner calling for his firing flew overhead. The moment drew attention beyond Tallahassee, adding another layer to a season that has already featured plenty of noise around the Seminoles and the direction of the program.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney weighed in afterward, saying the scene was an embarrassment and that it crossed a line by turning football criticism into something more personal. He said losing games should not lead to attacks on a coach and his family, a reminder that the pressure around Florida State has become as much about the temperature of the conversation as it is about what happens on the field. [Read more 🡒]
FSU Opens Season With One Early Roster Concern In Focus
Florida State opens its second season under Luke Loucks on Monday in Tampa against Florida A&M, and the matchup brings a little more substance than the average early November tune-up. The Seminoles are trying to build on year one under Loucks, while Florida A&M arrives with its own momentum after a strong previous season under Charlie Ward and a roster that includes both returning pieces and new transfers.
For Florida State, the early focus is less about the opponent than about how the Seminoles sort out their playmaking spots as the season gets underway. Florida A&M has questions of its own in the frontcourt, but this game offers a first real look at how Loucks wants his group organized and who can handle the ball when the pressure starts to rise. [Read more 🡒]