Michael Alford just proved to FSU fans that this job is too big for him

Michael Alford may have already failed his first test as the FSU Athletic Director.

Alford released a statement this morning, saying that the school is fully committed to the embattled coach for the rest of the season and any assessments will be made following the season's end. In other words, he's going to kick the can down the street for a few more weeks and basically hold the football program hostage.

In other words, Michael Alford is telling us he doesn't know what he's doing without telling us he doesn't know what he's doing.

For the most part, Alford has done a decent job with the coaches while at FSU. He deserves credit for the Link Jarrett hiring in baseball, and he also did a great job at handling Leonard Hamilton's departure from the men's basketball program. The subsequent hiring of Luke Loucks is solid as well. An alum with NBA bench experience will probably give that program a much-needed facelift. 

Alford has also done a good job with women's basketball, promoting Brooke Wyckoff when Sue Semrau retired and keeping women's soccer among the best in the nation with the hiring of Brian Pensky after losing championship coach Mark Krikorian. 

But at FSU, the AD is graded on how he handles the football program, and it is there where Alford has failed miserably.

Complacency or uncertainty, which is worse?

There were two answers Alford could've given Monday and both would've been right even with different reactions. Either he's committed to Mike Norvell through next season, which would basically be saying that the buyout is too big, and we'll just have to ride this out, or Mile Norvell has been fired.

That's it. Either he's all-in or all-out. 

Instead, FSU football is now sitting in purgatory.  No one can give a direct answer on the future of the program. Why should the fans continue to support this? Why should anyone believe a roster that's already checked out will suddenly care? And recruiting? Not happening. FSU will be lucky if any kid, even the one with the Seminole logo tattooed on his arm, will stay in this class. 

The football calendar for coaching replacements has changed. It's already in motion and giving Penn State and Florida a head start on the top candidates is bad business. Alford isn't "working in silence" or "going through back channels" and if, by some chance, he is, it might not matter because there's a good chance he doesn't get to make the hire anyway.

​As Norvell's slide continued, FSU fans and some media pundits close to the program openly wondered if Alford could be trusted to hire the next football coach. Today, they got their answer.