Florida State has fired head football coach Mike Norvell, and the decision will cost the school roughly $50 million in buyout money — one of the most expensive buyouts in college football history. His firing follows a string of disappointing seasons, and the university has agreed to pay Norvell roughly $50 million as part of the separation agreement, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Norvell, 43, arrived in Tallahassee in December 2019 after a successful run at Memphis, where he went 38-15 and led the Tigers to the 2019 Cotton Bowl. After a slow start at Florida State, he rebuilt the program and produced a 13-1 season in 2023, winning the ACC title — though the Seminoles were controversially left out of the College Football Playoff.
The fall was swift. Florida State opened 2024 ranked No. 10 but collapsed to 2-10, including a 20-12 loss to rival Florida. The Seminoles rebounded somewhat to 5-4 in 2025, but back-to-back losses to Clemson and Virginia Tech sealed Norvell’s fate.
The Orange Bowl Turning Point
Many point to the 2023 Orange Bowl as the beginning of the end. After being snubbed by the playoff, the Seminoles sent a team of mostly backups, 63-3. Less than a month after that game, Florida State extended Norvell’s contract for two additional seasons, increasing his salary to over $10 million per year.
The Slide Since the Orange Bowl
Ever since, the Seminoles have had limited success on the field. Norvell finishes his Florida State tenure with a 41-39 record, but since the loss in the 2023 Orange Bowl, Norvell and the Seminoles have gone 10-22 — three fewer wins in two and a half years than the 2023 season alone produced. Norvell’s seat was hot at the end of 2024 and even hotter at the end of 2025. This year, Florida State finally decided enough is enough, even if it costs them dearly to part ways.
One of the Biggest Buyouts Ever
Norvell’s buyout looks set to become one of the most expensive in college football history. Only Jimbo Fisher (up to $77.6 million from Texas A&M) and Brian Kelly ($54 million from LSU) have topped it. As it currently stands, Norvell could receive nearly three times the $18 million former head coach Willie Taggart got after Florida State fired him in 2019.
There is one potential small silver lining for Seminoles fans: if Norvell finds another job elsewhere, it might offset some of what Florida State owes. There are still conversations to be had on timing and terms, so the exact amount has a little variance. All figures here are estimates from public sources.
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