The Atlantic Line
Florida State's Mike Norvell safe for now despite loss at Louisville, report says
After a 44-20 loss at Louisville, On3 reports a midseason firing of Mike Norvell is unlikely as 3-3 Florida State heads to No. 3 Miami.
Florida State is not expected to fire Mike Norvell in the middle of the season, even after Friday's 44-20 loss at Louisville dropped the Seminoles to 3-3. On3's Pete Nakos reported that the decision-makers still lean against a change, as HEAVY reported.
According to Nakos, sources told On3 that a midseason move "appears unlikely but is not off the table." He reported that the school had wanted to give Norvell room to finish 7-5 or better and return in 2027. That target now looks distant. HEAVY noted that Florida State has to go at least 3-3 the rest of the way to reach bowl eligibility, and it has not played in a bowl game since 2023.
The cost of a change is a big part of the story. HEAVY put Norvell's current buyout at about $51 million, and Nakos estimated that firing him and hiring a new coach and staff would cost close to $100 million in total. Nakos also reported that Florida State is not one of the ACC's best-funded athletic departments. HEAVY argued that this could make it hard to land a top coach unless the school finds more money, as Virginia Tech did.
Friday's game at Louisville changed on one sequence. Florida State turned the ball over on downs, and on the very next snap Isaac Brown ran 97 yards for a Louisville touchdown. The Cardinals outscored the Seminoles 37-6 from there and put up 30 points in the second half. The result undid much of the goodwill Norvell earned with a lopsided home win the week before, a win HEAVY said had briefly cooled talk about his job.
It gets harder this week. Florida State plays at No. 3 Miami on Saturday night, and the market lists the Hurricanes as heavy favorites. Miami is favored at -1150 on Novig, one of the venues pricing the game. The spread is Miami -21.5 and the total is 56.5. Pinnacle has the best sportsbook price on Miami at -1596. Full prices are on the Florida State at Miami odds page.
The rest of the schedule doesn't ease up much. After the Miami trip, Florida State has a bye and then hosts Clemson. It closes with road games at Boston College and Pittsburgh and home games against NC State and Florida. Lose in Coral Gables and the Seminoles would need three wins from those last five games to reach a bowl, starting with Clemson.
For now, the reporting suggests Florida State will let the season play out before deciding on Norvell. HEAVY pointed out that missing a bowl for a second straight year would put his future in serious doubt once the season ends, buyout or not. Miami is the first test of how much fight this team has left.
