Florida State’s coaching situation is turning into one of the biggest pressure points in college football, and the money attached to it is impossible to ignore.
Mike Norvell is drawing heat as the Seminoles head into a stretch that could decide everything. CBS Sports’ Richard Johnson reported that former Florida State players are pushing for Jimbo Fisher to take over if the school makes a move. Johnson also said the program could still stand by Norvell if the team catches fire.
“If Norvell ends up out of the job, a familiar face is on the periphery,” Johnson wrote in an Oct. 1, story. “Sources tell CBS Sports that former players of significance are lobbying FSU officials on Fisher's behalf.
“The push, at least from Fisher's side, is very real. Fisher's value proposition is how cheap he'd come relative to other options, perhaps helping an athletic department trying to sort itself out.”
That backdrop matters because Florida State’s schedule is about to get ugly. The Seminoles are expected to be underdogs in their next three games against Virginia, Louisville and Miami. After that, the road still doesn’t get much smoother, with Clemson, Boston College and Pitt waiting down the line.
“Industry sources tell CBS Sports there is a path to Norvell keeping his job, but winning games matters, which is why the next few weeks are crucial,” Johnson added.
The other giant piece of this story is the price tag. Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger has reported that Florida State is looking for reasons to keep Norvell instead of paying to move on, and the financial burden is obvious. Norvell still has more than $84 million left on the contract that runs through 2031, per Fox Sports.
Pete Nakos of On3 reported that Norvell’s buyout is $49 million if Florida State fires him. Even that number doesn’t tell the whole story, because the total cost of a change climbs into the $100 million range once the school accounts for the new coach and staff.
“Norvell’s buyout sits at roughly $49 million,” Nakos detailed on Oct. 2. “Sources have told On3 the all-in cost of a coaching change, new roster and new staff sits around the $100 million mark.
“His contract does include an offset clause, meaning any salary he makes from a new coaching job would reduce what Florida State owes him.”
There’s also the issue of where Florida State stands financially in the current landscape. The Seminoles’ NIL funding appears to be in the middle of the pack among ACC programs, which means a coaching change alone would not be a cure-all for the problems in Tallahassee.
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Florida State Just Delivered The Statement Win Seminoles Fans Needed
After a rocky stretch, Florida State finally got the kind of performance that can settle a restless fan base, and it came in emphatic fashion at Doak Campbell Stadium. The Seminoles rolled past Virginia 38-7, piling up 38 unanswered points and looking far more like a team with some direction on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Ashton Daniels was at the center of it, using his legs to put together a night that will stand out in school history.
Daniels set Florida State and stadium records with five rushing touchdowns and 136 rushing yards, while the defense overwhelmed Virginia from start to finish. The Seminoles finished with 10 sacks and limited the Cavaliers to 205 total yards, the kind of full-game control this program has been searching for. It was the sort of statement win that does more than improve a record, since it hints at what Florida State can look like when everything clicks. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Norvell Bought Some Time But Florida State's Real Test Starts Now
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But one convincing afternoon is not enough to settle anything for long. Norvell and his staff still have to stack wins and prove the improvement is real against the better opponents still ahead, because the next run of games will go a long way toward determining whether this surge is a turning point or just a temporary pause in the pressure surrounding his future. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Just Delivered The Dominant Win Fans Needed
Florida State got the kind of statement win it badly needed, and it came with Ashton Daniels doing something no Seminoles quarterback had done before. Daniels ran for five touchdowns in a 38-7 rout of Virginia, a performance that gave the offense a jolt while the defense controlled the game from start to finish. The win moved Florida State to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, a much-needed step after a shaky start to the season.
The bigger message may have come from the other side of the ball. Florida States defense piled up 10 sacks and left Virginia with almost nowhere to go on the ground, limiting the Cavaliers to 37 rushing yards on 40 carries. For a team trying to build momentum and steady itself in league play, it was the kind of complete effort that can change the tone around a season, and it leaves the next question squarely in front of the Seminoles: whether they can carry this level of dominance into the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]