Mike Norvell’s seat at Florida State is getting harder to ignore. The Seminoles have struggled badly over the past few seasons. The firing talks gained traction after the program fired its AD, Michael Alford. According to a report, Florida State could look towards a familiar name to replace Norvell in Tallahassee.
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The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman reported that FSU officials are looking into the possibility of bringing back Jimbo Fisher, putting the coach who delivered the program its most recent national championship firmly into the picture. One industry source even said that Jimbo Fisher’s struggles at FSU after the title and during his tenure at Texas A&M weren’t due to his rosters.
“His ability to adapt to modern football is what caught up with him,” the source told Feldman.
Most importantly, Fisher “really wants the job,” according to Feldman.
The timing makes sense given Florida State’s recent run: the Seminoles have gone 8-18 since 2023, including a 3-14 mark in ACC play, and are currently on a nine-game road losing streak. For a program with Florida State’s expectations, those numbers have put Norvell’s future under a much brighter spotlight. Moving on from him, however, would not be cheap.
Norvell would reportedly be owed more than $50 million if Florida State fires him this year. That’s a massive number for a program already trying to find a way through the financial demands of modern college football.
Still, Florida State may have been preparing for that possibility because the Seminoles were not particularly aggressive in the transfer portal this offseason, with the idea that some of those resources could be saved for a bigger move down the road.
If Norvell is eventually dismissed, some of that money could go toward his buyout, a new coaching staff, and potentially another coach’s buyout. That’s where Fisher becomes an interesting name.
The 60-year-old has been away from coaching since Texas A&M fired him during the 2023 season. He now works as a college football analyst for the ACC Network, but according to Feldman’s reporting, he wants another shot on the sideline.
Fisher certainly wouldn’t need an introduction in Tallahassee, because he spent eight seasons at Florida State and went 83-23, winning three ACC titles from 2012 through 2014. His biggest achievement came in 2013, when the Seminoles went 14-0 and won the national championship. The following season, Florida State reached the first College Football Playoff.
Fisher also knows what it takes to recruit at Florida State, which is another area where the Seminoles need to improve. FSU hasn’t put together a top-10 recruiting class in quite some time, while Fisher built his early success around bringing elite talent into Tallahassee and developing strong relationships with recruits.
But the question would be whether Fisher could adapt to the version of college football that exists today. The sport has changed dramatically since he left Florida State, with the transfer portal and NIL now playing a huge role in roster building.
Fisher’s financial situation could also make the conversation easier for Florida State. Texas A&M gave him a record $76 million buyout after firing him, and he is reportedly still being paid by the Aggies through 2031. That could mean FSU wouldn’t have to take on the kind of salary that another high-profile coaching candidate might require.
For now, though, none of this means Fisher is taking over. Norvell remains Florida State’s head coach, and FSU leadership has publicly backed him.
President Richard McCullough previously said, “Nobody wants to win more than Mike Norvell.”
But with Fisher reportedly interested in the job and Florida State exploring the possibility, the pressure around Norvell has taken another turn.