Florida State took drastic action Monday morning, firing athletic director Michael Alford, who had held the position since January 2022. The move came one week after the Seminoles' brutal 27-24 upset loss to SMU in Tallahassee. FSU fans have been calling for head coach Mike Norvell's job for years, and that loss to SMU only added fuel to the fire, with chants of "Fire Norvell" echoing throughout Doak Campbell Stadium that night.
And with the school's AD now gone, some have speculated that Norvell could be next. Florida State president Richard McCullough addressed Norvell's future on Monday. "I love Mike Norvell, he's a great human being," McCullough said.
"Nobody wants to win more than Mike Norvell. "College coaches are in the winning business. That's what we're working on," he added.
More news: Alabama Fans Calling for Crimson Tide Assistant to Replace HC Kalen DeBoer More news: LSU Fans Send Clear Message to Greg Sankey After Trying to Ban School From SEC Alford was fired for many of the same reasons fans want Norvell gone, and he was the man who decided to give Norvell one more shot even after he went 5-7 last season. The year prior, the Seminoles went just 2-10 under Norvell. For almost any other coach in college football, back-to-back seasons like that would be enough to lose a job.
Fans clearly think so, and took their frustration out on Alford for choosing not to get rid of him. Of course, that's also not an easy decision for the university to make right now. If Florida State chooses to fire Norvell during the 2026 season, he would be owed around $51 million.
If he's fired after the season, that number would drop to $45.6 million, which would still be among the largest buyouts in the history of the sport. What's interesting is that with Alford gone, that decision will now fall squarely on whoever replaces him. Florida State is 1-1 right now and next faces Alabama in Tuscaloosa, a game that could very well decide Norvell's fate.
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