After a magical win against Alabama, Florida State was nothing less than a title contender this season. But Mike Norvell’s fate took a complete U-turn as FSU started resonating their last year’s 2-10 run. Sure, their 42-7 win against Wake Forest gave them a ray of hope and bought some time for Norvell. However, according to the former FSU QB, Danny Kanell, the program should hold off for one more year to ease the financial strain. It appears he’s hoping FSU won’t act hastily.

Florida State lost nine consecutive ACC games over two seasons. Looking at teams like Penn State or the Florida Gators, letting go of Norvell makes sense. But Cover 3 Podcast and FSU alum Danny Kanell want to buy some more time for him and see how things go. “I think it comes down to these last four games,” Kanell said. “I mean, if you can get to eight and four now, the fan base is going to be split. They’re going to be fractured. They’re going to want to make a change. But I think this coaching cycle is one that you would kind of want to hold out for.

Sometimes, patience yields results, while knee-jerk decisions often undermine the program from top to bottom. Kanell continued, “Ride one more year with Mike Norvell, and then the buyout reduces somewhat. You can make a better decision, and you can give him one more chance to see how they can do.” So, their games against Clemson, Virginia Tech, NC State, and the Florida Gators can make or break the season for him.

Now, if there are plans to give him the sack, then the contract buyout clauses will come into play. It poses a different kind of problem. As of now, Norvell’s contract states that FSU is entitled to receive 85% of his remaining salary through 2031. For this year, it’s $5.4 million, and for next year, it gets reduced to $4.5 million. If sacked, this would make his buyout the second-highest in college football history after Jimbo Fisher’s $76.8 million.

However, there’s a high chance they won’t have to pay the entire amount, as Norvell’s contract includes a mitigation clause that requires him to find another job, which will reduce the buyout. Because firing him and the entire coaching staff will cost them around $72 million, and that’s massive. With buyout concerns looming around the corner, the players remain dubious about parting ways with Norvell, despite the team’s 1-11 record in the ACC between the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

Notably, QB Tommy Castellanos backs Mike Norvell after constant rumors about the hot seat. “The way he pours into us, the way he pushes us, after those losses with all the critics and stuff going on… he’s blocking out the noise and continuing to push us. With everything that’s going on, we see it, and you don’t think we go through stuff. He’s the one that’s there picking us up and making us thrive,” Castellanos said.

Well, these two years might be rough on him, but let’s not forget it’s the same team that went undefeated in 2023 under Norvell and started strong against a team like Alabama this year. And with Castellanos, even Steve Sarkisian is backing all other coaches who are facing adversity this year.

Steve Sarkisian’s bold take on CFB firings

As college football runs towards excellence, the pressure is mounting on head coaches. Teams like LSU, Auburn, Penn State, UCLA, Arkansas, Florida State, and the Oklahoma Cowboys have already pulled the trigger on their head coaches, who were turning things up for them for years. With every other loss, one head coach finds himself on the hot seat.

Moreover, one of the names on the list was Steve Sarkisian, too, after the Longhorns lost to the unranked Florida Gators. Fans began comparing him to James Franklin after he lost to UCLA and Northwestern. But they keep forgetting that every day is not the same, and that’s precisely what Sark is trying to point out.

Now, teams are eyeing coaches like Lane Kiffin, Curt Cignetti, Eli Drinkwitz, and many others who are currently in a better position. However, taking a risk to take over a program that has so many expectations is something nobody wants to undertake. It certainly brings the limelight to Sarkisian’s question: “Everybody wants to fire their coach; who are you going to hire?” 11 FBS teams have fired their coaches so far in the season, and the combined buyout of all is around $185 million. Now, that’s astonishing!

Imagine taking your team to the championship last season, and one game gets to decide your fate. That sudden change is even scarier for coaches as Steve Sarkisian pleads for security: “Somebody’s got to be the head coach the amount of you know, one week you’re a hero, the next week, you’re zero.” 

It’s true in most cases, as coaches would love some job security to impart their ideas to the players. Terminations are not an issue only in football. Basketball, soccer, and many other team sports have faced similar problems regarding coaching terminations. Sarkisian continued, “We all want to win, and we’re all busting our tails to try to win. And sometimes things don’t go your way, especially in our conference; it’s tough.” It will be interesting to see how far the teams will go to chase wins.