With a 1-1 record, generally uninspiring play on the football field, struggles with recruiting, and an athletic director change coming, coach Mike Norvell is unofficially fired. The clock is ticking on Norvell, and the question now is not if the move will happen but rather a matter of when. The next hiring is going to be crucial, and Florida State might be barreling towards an awful hiring decision after initial reports were released.
Jimbo Fisher, who is currently working as a studio analyst, recently tossed his hat into the ring after claiming he was interested in returning to coaching. Fisher last coached in 2023 for Texas A&M after his contract was bought out for a record $77.5 million due to the performance of the team. Now, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic has reported that Florida State has begun to explore the idea of bringing back Fisher.
Jimbo Fisher "really wants" the FSU job, and FSU brass is looking into it, per The Athletic's Bruce Feldman.
— Logan B. Robinson (@LogansTwitty) September 18, 2026
"Jimbo's rosters didn't stink," one source said. "His ability to adapt to modern football is what caught up with him."
Fisher went 83-23 in eight seasons at FSU. pic.twitter.com/o26bFoozTJ
There were numerous "We want Jimbo!" chants from fans during a recent pregame show in Tallahassee ahead of the Week 1 clash against SMU. Some Florida State fans truly want Fisher back as the coach of the program. The problem? He has absolutely no idea what he is about to get into, and the Seminoles cannot afford to go backwards.
Florida State would take three steps backwards with the hiring of Jimbo Fisher
Florida State fans must listen to this next part: Fisher failed the Seminoles in more ways than one before resigning. Florida State currently has a school-record multi-year Academic Progress Rate of 993, which tops the record of 992 from the year prior. Fisher dropped the program down to 936 before resigning, which was the lowest in the FBS.
Norvell has failed to accomplish consistent success in his tenure with Florida State, but he did manage to dig the program out of an academic mess that was handed over to him. Fisher finished his tenure with the Aggies with limited success, and an APR of 956, the lowest score out of all Texas A&M teams between 2020-21 and 2023-24.
If the fact that Fisher nearly dropped Florida State into postseason ban territory is not enough, then his lack of experience in the NIL landscape should be. Fisher recorded 18 transfer portal commitments in his final four years with the Aggies, and that was without truly having to open up the checkbook to land productive players. Starters on both offense and defense can easily hit $1 million, and the Seminoles have not exactly had the most resources to work with.
Even coaches who have been in the thick of it with NIL have struggled to adapt, so what makes anyone think a coach who has distanced himself from the sport could return with better results?
It is no secret at this point that Florida State is behind other schools in terms of NIL budgeting, and to make matters worse, there are also multiple clear cases of overspending. Part of why athletic director Michael Alford was fired was that the Seminoles need to improve financially from top to bottom, and the next hire should be someone who can fix that.
Adding a coach like Fisher with limited NIL experience back into the equation after going through all of the trouble to improve would be a complete waste. Florida State needs someone who understands the current landscape and can quickly adapt, as the Seminoles frankly do not have any time to continue to put out poor results. Bringing back a 60-year old Fisher and expecting him to change his ways is completely counterintuitive.
Another potential issue that could derail Florida State with the hire of Fisher involves his original departure from Tallahassee. The relationship between Fisher and Florida State soured, and he ultimately took a different job, leaving the program a mess behind him.
Coaches move arguably just as much as players do, and a hint of success with Florida State could give Fisher the ammunition to take on a different job. Current Colorado State coach Jim L. Mora is a prime example, taking a job much closer to his home state despite turning around UConn. This would obviously be the best-worst case scenario, but, another coaching search two years down the line is the last thing Florida State needs.
The Seminoles are already in a bad spot, and Fisher could send the program down even farther with his current track record.
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