Mike Norvell is watching the ground shrink under his feet in Tallahassee. Florida State’s painful 50-36 loss to No. 10 Alabama in Tuscaloosa has pushed his seat to a boiling point, dropping the Seminoles to a grim 1-2 start. With Norvell holding a mediocre 39-36 record in his seventh year, fan anger is reaching a peak, and talks of potential replacements like Jimbo Fisher and another former LSU coach, who’s reportedly eager to make his coaching return.
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For a program with championship standards, these numbers are getting nearly impossible for school leaders to defend. Non-conference losses continue to pile up, leaving fans wondering how much longer the administration can wait. Norvell did not try to hide the pain after the game, admitting openly to reporters that he was furious with how things turned out.
“Guys are continuing to grow, in practice and what they’re doing,” Norvell said while addressing reporters. “I was very confident going into this game of what I believed we could do. I’m pi**ed off right now that we didn’t win this game. It was not a coming in to the seed, you know? We didn’t play to the level, even that I know we’re capable of.”
Norvell defended his players, pointing out that there were good plays reminiscent of what he saw during spring and fall camps.
“But there was there was good plays that looked like what and what I’ve seen throughout the course of spring, summer, the work in fall,” he said before adding, “Momentum only affects the teams that allow it to. And there were some times we allowed it and just didn’t respond the way we needed to…There’s some frustration that’s there. But I am proud of the team for the way they work. I told them that afterwards. I’m grateful for how they allow us to coach them.”
The 44-year-old’s admission sounded like a defeated man who’s accepted the inevitable and shared his farewell message to the Seminoles. Norvell’s exit has been one of the most discussed topics for a while now. And although his hefty buyout, estimated to be anywhere between $46.7 million and $51 million if he’s fired in 2026, compels the athletics department to think it through, it is not stopping a list of head coach candidates from forming.
Apart from Fisher, who held an 83-23 record in his eight years at Florida State, Brian Kelly is paving his way for a comeback. Earlier this week, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman reported that the controversial former LSU coach could lead the Seminoles.
“Another 60-something coaching retread who could find a Power 4 landing spot is former LSU and Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly. The 64-year-old Boston native is very, very motivated to get back on the sidelines,” Feldman wrote.
The Seminoles have options to choose from. The list would only grow once they set out to find a new coach. With Fisher eager for a return and Kelly looming in the background, Florida State will have heavy-hitting options if they decide to make a change.