The Florida State Seminoles are backed into a corner with head coach Mike Norvell’s future uncertain beyond the 2025 season.
Another baffling loss on Friday night has only raised further questions in Tallahassee. The Seminoles are 5-6 (2-6 ACC) and are on the cusp of missing the postseason for the fourth time in Norvell’s tenure.
Following a four-game losing streak earlier this fall, athletic director Michael Alford and Florida State’s administration stood behind Norvell. In a statement released on October 20, Alford vowed a “comprehensive assessment” at the conclusion of the season.
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“Florida State football benefits from unmatched passionate support from the entire FSU family, and the commitment to our football program is unwavering,” Alford wrote. “We rightfully have high expectations in everything we do to represent Florida State in the manner that built our reputation as one of college football’s best programs, cultivating an extraordinary group of supporters nationally and globally.”
“We embrace those expectations while also sharing the deep disappointment when results on the field are short of that standard,” Alford added. “As we continue to move forward this season, our comprehensive assessment of the football program will be completed at season’s end. Meanwhile, we are fully committed to helping Coach Norvell and the 2025 Seminoles strongly rebound in the coming weeks.”
That assessment may happen earlier than Florida State expected if the Seminoles don’t win in Gainesville next weekend.
FSU hasn’t ‘strongly’ rebounded since falling apart on the West Coast. The Seminoles are 2-2 in November and have dropped six of their last eight games.
Florida State is now 7-17 overall since the College Football Playoff snub in December of 2023. They haven’t won a true road game in 727 days.
This isn’t a team that’s ascending or responding. It’s one that shows up at home, sometimes, but goes missing in action on the road, every time.
With a big decision on Florida State’s doorstep, Norvell and Alford remain in close contact.
Florida State vice president and athletics director Michael Alford (right), football head coach Mike Norvell (middle) and baseball head coach Link Jarrett talk pregame during opening day against James Madison on Feb. 17, 2023, at Dick Howser Stadium.
Fsujmubaseball1 1 Of 1 / Ehsan Kassim/Tallahassee Democrat / USA TODAY NETWORK
Alford is extremely hands-on within the Florida State athletic program, constantly making appearances at practices and games, no matter the sport. He’s been a familiar face around the football team over the past few years.
That hasn’t changed even with the struggles piling up over the last two years. Alford appeared visibly frustrated during the loss to Stanford, dejectedly walking back into the tunnel and into the depths of the stadium as the game fell out of reach.
Alford didn’t hire Norvell, as he wasn’t named to his current position until 2021. However, he did extend the head coach in 2024, something anyone would have done at the time. It doesn’t matter now, though. The language in the contract means Florida State owes Norvell a ton of money – $60M+ – if the program fires him anytime soon.
The pair remain in close contact as the season winds down.
“Michael and I, we talk all the time. I’d say he’s there, he’s at practice every week, he comes out. He’s actively around the program like he’s always been,” Norvell said after the loss to NC State. “I understand the expectation, I understand what we have to do, and we didn’t get it done tonight. We’re constantly in communication like we’ve always been.”
Norvell doesn’t believe a victory against the Gators would match the standard Florida State is looking for. Six wins in year six won’t inspire much confidence for a success-starved fanbase, especially coming off a disastrous 2-10 campaign, one of the worst-ever in Tallahassee.
“Hell no. We’re not even close to living up to expectations,” Norvell said. “No. We have not lived up to expectations. Fully capable football team, that’s not good enough, and it’s not been enough for the six losses that we have. It’s extremely frustrating.”
There’s no doubt that the Seminoles are a better football team than last year. Does it really matter when Florida State constantly can’t finish and is its own worst enemy? That all leads back to coaching.
“However many yards, differentials, improvements, all the crap, you’ve got to make plays to win the games,” Norvell said. “We’ve got to do a good coaching them, we’ve got to do a good job of players, we’ve got to do a good job as everybody, and we’ve not done a good enough job to play to what I believe we’re capable of.”
“You can sit there and look at the stat sheet and say ‘well, you outgained them, and this, and this’ you’ve still got to come down to doing enough to win the game, and we have definitely not fulfilled any expectation of what I have,” Norvell added.
Florida State has one final opportunity to snap its road losing streak against the Florida Gators on Saturday, November 29.
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