FSU football head coach Mike Norvell led FSU to an undefeated regular season in 2023 and FSU's first ACC title in a decade. That work and overtures from Alabama earned Norvell a nice contract extension, paying him around 10 million annually. His staff also got contract extensions with pay raises.
Not even a year later, four coaches have been fired, and FSU finished with the worst regular season record (2-10) in most of our lifetimes. Mike Norvell hinted towards major changes during the season, promising it would be a quick fix.
FSU hired two well-respected coordinators and some quality coaches who look to be an upgrade over the previous staff. FSU coaches closed strong on the recruiting trail in the Early Signing Period and have been working to get quality players in the transfer portal since it opened last week.
The fan base seems split between not believing Mike Norvell can turn the program around and others taking a wait-and-see approach. However, what Mike Norvell and FSU announced on Monday may help alleviate some of the vitriol some fans have toward what he allowed to happen in 2024.
Norvell restructured his contract so he could give 4.5 million dollars to Seminole Boosters. Here's what he had to say:
"I presented this to our administration in an effort to boost the support of our student-athletes while recognizing that the results and expectations need to be upheld to the highest level," Norvell said in a release. "I wanted to be proactive in my financial assistance through this time of transition as we all push forward to get back to the standard of Florida State football. Great days are ahead, and I'm grateful to coach these players and lead this staff. We have been hard at work to uphold the tradition here at Florida State, and I believe this step will help accelerate the process to where I know we are going."
Fan Reaction
I appreciate a restructure and donation, and I hope the details of the restructure include a reduced buyout. But I doubt it.
— AT (@primediscussion) December 16, 2024
In general got a bad taste in my mouth from the last time a coach donated their own money. Feels like the bureaucratic equivalent of player promise notes
People are dogging Mike and his contract and all talking about making it easier to fire him or whatever, but this only tells me that he’s invested and trying to do everything in his power to make sure that the 2-10 season was an outlier. I get you’re mad but think constructively. https://t.co/kQ1UxdOKGo
— Nate Stephens (@NateStep77) December 16, 2024
Needs to donate last years salary to the battle end https://t.co/Z7IM9OdAV9
— Zachery Griggy 🍢🍢 (@ZGriggy1995) December 16, 2024
This is a perfect example of why I have not doubted him. With the landscape of CF these days, a dramatic fall is not a surprise. Do I like it, absolutely Not. But we are unconquered. We lost a battle not the war.
— NC Nole! (@ncnole99) December 16, 2024
Everyone was pissed we extended Mike just to shit the bed, which I get, he gives back damn near half a years salary in an attempt to fix it, and fans (many of whom probably give nothing) still bad mouth him. September can’t get here soon enough. Gonna be a miserable offseason.
— BFNoles👋🏾👋🏼👋🏿👋🏽👋🏻 (@BFNoles) December 16, 2024
— Mary 🤍 (@FSUStan4L) December 16, 2024
FSU fans are very much in, "I need you to win games immediately after that dreadful season." I can't fault them. It was the worst season to cover in my nine years of running this website. I believe Mike Norvell was embarrassed by what happened and is trying to fix it.
Who else they get in the transfer portal will likely determine how well they bounce back in 2025. Stay tuned to our Transfer Portal Addition Tracker here.