FSU to retain embattled Norvell for 2026 season

Florida State coach Mike Norvell will return for a seventh season with the Seminoles, pledging to make needed structural changes within the program to enhance performance, the school announced Sunday.

Questions had been mounting about his job security and reached a boiling point after a 21-11 loss to NC State on Friday night that dropped the Seminoles to 5-6. They need a win at Florida this weekend to reach bowl eligibility.

Over the past two years, Florida State is 7-16 (3-13 in ACC play) and winless on the road. Norvell, however, did win an ACC title in 2023 and has maintained his optimism for the future.

In a statement, university president Richard McCullough said he, athletic director Michael Alford and board of trustees chairman Peter Collins were in "complete agreement that changes are needed for our program to improve.

"Coach Norvell embraces our support in that process and agrees that success must be achieved. He continues to demonstrate an unwavering belief in this program's future, and so do we. This decision reflects a unified commitment to competing in the rapidly evolving landscape of college football, while maintaining continuity within the program."

Sources said more resources would be placed into recruiting and the roster, and changes would be made to the personnel department to allow Norvell the best chance to succeed.

Had Florida State moved on from Norvell, the school would have owed him about $54 million in buyout money. All told, Florida State would have owed about $72 million to Norvell and his staff.

In six seasons with the Seminoles, Norvell is 38-33 with only two winning seasons. Despite its record this year, Florida State has made strides over 2024, when it finished 2-10 -- the worst program mark since 1974.

Florida State has gone from among the worst offenses in the country -- ranking No. 132 in the nation last year -- to one of the best, ranking No. 8 this year, and has outgained its opponents in 10 games this season.

"The driving motivation behind this is to make certain that we are doing everything properly to obtain and retain elite players, add critical pieces, and sustain long-term success," Norvell said in a statement Sunday. "I love Florida State, and I am fully committed to this program, and our shared goals."

The Seminoles opened the year with an emphatic 31-17 victory over Alabama in which the fans stormed the field, a win that perhaps reset expectations for where the program was.

A 3-0 start quickly unraveled on the road at Virginia, where Florida State lost 46-38 in double-overtime. Another embarrassing road loss to Stanford in October forced Alford to issue a statement saying he would do a full program evaluation once the season ended.

"Hell no, we haven't," Norvell said when asked whether his team has met expectations after Saturday's loss to NC State. "We're not even close to living up to expectations. No, we have not lived up to expectations. We're a fully capable football team, and that's not good enough, and that's not been good enough for the six losses we have, and it's extremely frustrating."

The high point under Norvell came in 2023, when the Seminoles celebrated a 13-0 record and ACC championship.

The low point began shortly after that.

Despite going undefeated and winning a conference championship, the College Football Playoff selection committee left the Seminoles out of the four-team playoff, in large part because quarterback Jordan Travis was lost for the season with a broken leg.

Since then, Florida State has struggled. Norvell admitted the CFP snub had a much deeper impact on his program than he initially realized, but with a young core of players set to return -- including freshman standouts Mandrell and Darryll Desir, Ousmane Kromah, Jayvan Boggs and Micahi Danzy -- there is a belief the program can build momentum for next season.