Mike Norvell will remain as Florida State’s head coach into the 2026 season, the school announced Sunday afternoon.
With support from Seminoles’ leadership, Norvell has pledged to institute fundamental changes in specific areas to improve performance to meet the school’s championship standard, the school’s press release said.
“FSU Board of Trustees Chairman Peter Collins, Vice President and Director of Athletics Michael Alford, and I are in complete agreement that changes are needed for our program to improve,” FSU president Richard McCullough said in a statement. “Coach Norvell embraces our support in that process and agrees that success must be achieved. He continues to demonstrate an unwavering belief in this program’s future, and so do we. This decision reflects a unified commitment to competing in the rapidly evolving landscape of college football, while maintaining continuity within the program.”
The Seminoles fell to 5-6 Friday night with a 21-11 loss at North Carolina State in Norvell’s sixth season leading the program. He has a 38-33 record over his time at Florida State, but has lost 17 of the last 24 games since the 2023 Seminoles were left out of the College Football Playoff with a 13-0 record.
Norvell signed an eight-year extension that pays him over $10 million annually in February 2024 when he was being courted as a potential replacement for Nick Saban at Alabama. If Norvell was fired at this moment, he would be owed a $54 million buyout, a likely contributing factor in the decision to bring him back in 2026.
A crowded coaching carousel with vacancies already open for weeks at Penn State, LSU, Florida and Auburn, among others, also could have gone into the decision.
“This program has been built on belief, sacrifice, and putting the team first,” Norvell said in a statement. “That set of values has always guided my actions, and those of our players. The driving motivation behind this is to make certain that we are doing everything properly to obtain and retain elite players, add critical pieces, and sustain long-term success. I love Florida State, and I am fully committed to this program, and our shared goals.”
Norvell brought in new offensive and defensive coordinators in Gus Malzahn and Tony White after last year’s 2-10 season. It sounds like more changes on his staff will now be on the way over the next few weeks.
“Our responsibility is to do what gives Florida State the strongest competitive position – not just today, but for years to come,” Alford said in a statement. “Florida State has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in its football program over the past few years with high expectations. Chairman Collins, President McCullough and I are aligned in partnering with Coach and improving our ability to compete for championships. Our mission is unwavering in putting Florida State football at the forefront of college athletics.”
