Tensions Rise for Mike Norvell as FSU May Have Already Found His Replacement – Report
from Essentially College Football
Mike Norvell’s seat at Florida State is now almost officially in the last season territory. The firing talks gained even more traction after the program let go of their AD, Michael Alford. So, the next step is to determine the person that will take over this program.
The Seminoles can look towards fresh new faces in the lower conferences and have their pick. After all, despite the losses in the past few seasons, FSU is still a prestigious football program that most coaches would not easily reject. But according to reports, they might be turning towards a familiar name to replace Norvell in Tallahassee.
The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman reported that FSU officials are looking into the possibility of bringing back Jimbo Fisher, putting the coach who delivered the program its most recent national championship firmly into the picture. One industry source even said that Jimbo Fisher’s struggles at FSU after the title and during his tenure at Texas A&M weren’t due to his rosters.
“His ability to adapt to modern football is what caught up with him,” the source told Feldman. Most importantly, Fisher “really wants the job,” according to Feldman.
The 60-year-old has been away from coaching since Texas A&M fired him during the 2023 season. He now works as a college football analyst for the ACC Network. Fisher certainly wouldn’t need an introduction in Tallahassee, because he spent eight seasons at Florida State and went 83-23, winning three ACC titles from 2012 through 2014.
His biggest achievement came in 2013, when the Seminoles went 14-0 and won the national championship. The following season, Florida State reached their first College Football Playoff. The timing makes sense given Florida State’s recent run. The Seminoles have gone 8-18 since 2023, including a 3-14 mark in ACC play, and are currently on a nine-game road losing streak. For a program with Florida State’s expectations, those numbers have put Norvell’s future under a much brighter spotlight. Moving on from him, however, would not be cheap.
Norvell would reportedly be owed more than $50 million if Florida State fires him this year. That’s a massive number for a program already trying to find a way through the financial demands of modern college football.
Still, Florida State may have been preparing for that possibility because the Seminoles were not particularly aggressive in the transfer portal this offseason, with the idea that some of those resources could be saved for a bigger move down the road. If Norvell is eventually dismissed, some of that money could go toward his buyout, a new coaching staff, and potentially another coach’s buyout. That’s where Fisher becomes an interesting name.
Fisher also knows what it takes to recruit at Florida State, which is another area where the Seminoles need to improve. FSU hasn’t put together a top-10 recruiting class in quite some time, while Fisher built his early success around bringing elite talent into Tallahassee and developing strong relationships with recruits.
But the question would be whether Fisher could adapt to the version of college football that exists today. The sport has changed dramatically since he left Florida State, with the transfer portal and NIL now playing a huge role in roster building. Furthermore, this kind of coaching change has received criticism.
“If I were a booster at Florida State, I wouldn’t be like writing blank checks or handing over blank checks to a Jimbo Fisher,” On3’s J.D. Pickell said. “It’s not just that Jimbo Fisher failed to adapt seemingly at A&M and didn’t have success at A&M. That’s not the point here.”
Fisher is 60 years old and three years removed from the ever changing college football sideline. Dabo Swinney would be an expert in the NIL compared to Fisher considering he has been in the game dealing with the changes. On the other hand, at least the Seminoles wouldn’t have to pay Fisher that much to bring him over.
Fisher Will Still Be Paid By The Aggies
Fisher’s financial situation could also make the conversation easier for Florida State. Texas A&M gave him a record $76 million buyout after firing him, and he is reportedly still being paid by the Aggies and it will go on till 2031. That could mean FSU wouldn’t have to take on the kind of salary that another high-profile coaching candidate might require.
This is possible because his contract extension lacked an offset or mitigation clause. Most college football contracts state that if a fired coach gets a new job, their buyout is reduced by the amount of their new salary. Fisher’s contract explicitly omitted this requirement.
For now, though, none of this means Fisher is taking over. Norvell remains Florida State’s head coach, and FSU leadership has publicly backed him. President Richard McCullough previously said, “Nobody wants to win more than Mike Norvell.”
But with Fisher reportedly interested in the job and Florida State exploring the possibility, the pressure around Norvell has taken a more interesting turn.