Florida State Athletic Director Michael Alford has been under scrutiny over the past week for his statements offering support to Mike Norvell after the Stanford loss.
If you’re an FSU fan, you’ve likely read or heard about the statement by now, offering support to Mike Norvell to right the ship and finish the season strong, while offering a comprehensive assessment of the football program after the season.
According to Noles247, Michael Alford responded to some emails from folks who were happy that Mike Norvell wasn’t fired:
"You're absolutely right—honoring contracts and commitments is not just a legal principle, but a cultural one.”
"It sets the tone for how we operate as a program and as a university.
"The narrow margins in our losses and the quality of our wins speak volumes about the direction we're heading. We're proud of the fight in this team so far this year."
Many FSU fans on social media take these responses as Michael Alford being unwilling to fire Mike Norvell. Should we take these statements literally? Absolutely not. Why would Alford respond with negativity to someone supporting a decision that offers more time to make a smart decision?
It’s one thing to get embarrassed on the road, 3,000 miles away from home against Stanford, but let FSU lose to Wake Forest at home, at night, on Homecoming for its fifth consecutive loss. There is some truth to improvements over a year ago. Every FSU loss has been by eight points or less, and the players did play with some desperation on that final possession as they looked to tie the game.
However, the standard is the standard, and not winning an ACC game in over a year is nowhere close to that standard. If FSU loses to Wake Forest on Saturday night, the reactions from the fans in attendance will speak much louder than ever before. Yes, honoring contracts and commitments shows good culture, but allowing a program to accept mediocrity as the norm is not the FSU way. Michael Alford has fired coaches who don’t meet the standard at FSU. Look no further than Mike Martin Jr., the son of an FSU legend. Once the cries get loud enough and the right people have had enough, throw all of that word salad out of the window.
They may not fire him immediately after a loss to Wake Forest, but that loss likely means you’re losing to Clemson on the road the following week. That means you’re likely not making a bowl for the second year in a row and changes will be made.