It’s gone from bad to worse for Florida State football and head coach Mike Norvell.
The Seminoles entered 2024 off an ACC championship season that started 13-0 before being snubbed from the College Football Playoff. They were ranked No. 10 in the preseason US LMB Coaches Poll but lost their first three games and now sit at 1-7 out of bowl eligibility after a 36-14 loss to archrival Miami.
Norvell’s seat is white hot, but the nature of his contract means firing him wouldn’t be easy. He signed a hefty contract extension in January after he was a top contender to replace Nick Saban for the Alabama job. The other members of his coaching staff, from offensive coordinator Alex Atkins and defensive coordinator Adam Fuller to longtime assistant Odell Haggins and quarterback coach Tony Kokarz, also received raises and contract extensions after the 2023 season.
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Norvell’s time at FSU has been filled with ups and downs, but this season marks a low not seen since before Bobby Bowden took over. Unless the Seminoles win out the rest of the schedule, they will have their worst record since 1975, when they went 3-8 under Darrell Mudra. If they can’t win more than one game the rest of the season, FSU will have double-digit losses for just the third time in program history (they were 1-10 in 1974 and 0-11 in 1973).
Here’s what to know about Norvell’s contract, including details of his buyout should Florida State decide to part ways with him this year:
Florida State signed Norvell to an eight-year extension worth more than $84 million before incentives after he had flirted with the open coaching position for Alabama following Nick Saban’s retirement, per numbers obtained by USA TODAY Sports.
Norvell’s annual average value (AAV) is $10 million for the 2024 college football season. That tied him for sixth on USA TODAY’s highest-paid college football coach database among coaches of public universities and colleges. Norvell made $5.55 million in his fourth contract year in 2023, which ranked 15th among coaches.
The Seminoles are 1-7, their worst record since 1975, a year before Bobby Bowden took over as head coach. FSU also finished with seven losses in 2021, Norvell’s second season as head coach, and in 2018 and 2019 under Willie Taggart.
However, a buyout of Norvell would prove costly for the university. Norvell would be paid $63.8 million not to coach the Seminoles or 85% of his base salary and supplemental pay for the remainder of the contract, which expires on Dec. 31, 2031.
If Norvell is too expensive to be fired, could FSU look to changes elsewhere on the coaching staff? The entire coaching staff received raises and contract extensions after the 13-1 2023 season. Here’s a look at the contracts of the assistant coaches, courtesy of The Osceola:
Hired: Dec. 21, 2019
Contract: Runs through Feb. 28, 2028
Notes: Made $1.15 million in 2023.
Hired: Dec. 12, 2019
Contract: Runs through Feb. 28, 2027
Notes: Made $1.2 million in 2023 and was previously in line to make $1.3 million this season.
Hired: Dec. 24, 2019
Contract: Runs through Feb. 28, 2026
Notes: Made $700,000 in 2023.
Hired: Dec. 17, 2021
Contract: Runs through Feb. 28, 2026
Notes: Made $400,000 in 2023 and was previously in line to make $450,000 this season.
Hired: Jan. 5, 2020
Contract: Runs through Feb. 28, 2026
Notes: Made $500,000 in 2023.
Hired: Jan 20, 2019
Contract: Runs through Feb. 28, 2026
Notes: Buyout would be 25% of his contract unless he was hired as a head football coach. Made $500,000 in 2023 and was previously in line to make $550,000 this season.
Hired: Dec. 19, 2019
Contract: Runs through Feb. 28, 2026
News: Made $500,000 in 2023.
Hired: 1994 (assistant head coach since 2014)
Contract: Runs through Feb. 28, 2026
Notes: Made $584,667.75 in 2023.
Hired: Dec. 11, 2021
Contract: Runs through Feb. 28, 2026
Notes: Made $600,000 in 2023.
Hired: Jan. 18, 2023
Contract: Runs through Feb. 28, 2026
Notes: Made $400,000 in 2023 and was previously in line to make $500,000 this season.
Here’s a year-by-year look at how the Seminoles have fared under Norvell:
ACC record in parentheses
Contributing: Peter Holland Jr., Tallahassee Democrat
