HC Mike Norvell has been at the center of attention this season for FSU fans, and not for good reasons. With four losses in a row, the Seminoles faithful are urging for his immediate firing. But to their dismay, the financial conditions of FSU and the current contract of the head coach do not allow the management to move forward with the decision. Why?

Mid-season firings are not new. However, the program has to take the buyout clause as a factor. And things are especially bad if the program has a limited capital budget. That is the case with FSU, who are finding it rather difficult to fire Mike Norvell due to his $54 million buyout clause. In a post on X, Nicole Auerbach shared the thoughts of Michael Alford, the AD of FSU, on the decision.

Alford gave a statement, saying, “We are fully committed to helping Coach Norvell and the 2025 Seminoles strongly rebound in the coming weeks.” So, the post basically meant that FSU might keep Mike Norvell for now and that the comprehensive assessment of the program will be done at the end of the season. So, the fans can expect to see Norvell in the dugout on November against Wake Forest. Addition to the contractual $54 million expense, reports suggest that it will cost $100 million to replace the positions.

According to a report by On3’s Pete Nakos, FSU’s plan to replace Norvell will have huge financial implications. “Sources have speculated that the all-in cost to fire Norvell and his staff and make the next hire is in the $100 million range.” Yes, the overall cost to revamp the Noles coaching staff is high and that’s why the decision will probably happen after week 9.

While AD Michael Alford has stated that FSU plans on keeping Mike Norvell till the end of the season, the report by Pete Nakos is an indication that FSU has a plan to bring in a new man at the helm. If this is true, then it means a possible rebuilding of the team. With how the Seminoles have been performing this season, it is clear that a change is needed.

The report also paints a picture that, seemingly, FSU has listened to the concerns of the Florida faithful. Even though it might come a bit later than they expected. As the situation to change the head coach and his staff is “extremely fluid.” Mike Norvell’s contract runs through the end of 2031 season, with an annual salary of $9.935 million. He did agree to restructure his salary, contributing $4.5 million of his salary to a Program Enhancement Pool at FSU, rounding it to $5.4 million per year.

If Norvell is fired before his contractual tenure, then FSU will have to pay 85% of his remaining compensation. Safe to say, the fans were not particularly happy about the whole ordeal. One fan reposted the post and said, “AKA Florida State is broke af.” frustratingly capturing the scenario. And yes, it seems like the case is true with this one.

How did the fans react to Mike Norvell keeping his job?

Mike Norvell is one of the highest paid coaches in college football. While reports suggest that a $100 million replacement is in line, which includes the cost of firing his coaching staff as well, it just proves that Florida State is not particularly keen to pay off the buyout clause mid season. Now that it is confirmed that Mike Norvell is staying at the team for the rest of the season, the fan reaction to the whole situation was interesting, to say the least.

One fan said, “lol translated to booster: we literally cannot afford to fire this man”. Well, the bad news is it’s confirmed to be true. Right now, FSU is not in a position to afford Mike Norvell and his staff’s firing. Add the fact that FSU are has already committed to spending $486 million for its capital projects like allocating its budget for FSU Academic Health Center in Tallahassee, a new Football Operations Facility, Doak Campbell Stadium, and the College of Business Legacy Hall.

One netizen chimed in with, “In other words: they don’t have the money for it. Yet.” In contrast, when you look at other coaches, it makes sense why their programs let them go. Colorado State’s Jay Norvell has a buyout of just $1.5 million, as per reports. Even with Billy Napier’s situation, the Gators reportedly only have to pay upwards of $20.4 million. See the difference, that’s why Michael Alford is seemingly playing the waiting game.

Even if they did sack him, finding a replacement at this stage of the season is highly unlikely. So, as much as it hurts the fans, the decision to keep Norvell is essentially a better choice for the team rather than immediately sacking him. And in a funny way, two other fans gave their opinion on the matter. One said “The buyout money cant be pulled from the stock market all at once is the translation.”, which is honestly funny. It could very well be the truth as well, at this point who knows?

The other fan gave a much simpler assessment on the situation, saying “Our donors are tapped out…”, which could be a possible reality. So, in an unfortunate condition, the fans managed to see the funny side of it while loathing the decision. As for their team, FSU has a 3-4 record in the ACC and things are not looking good for them.