Mike Norvell on the brink, Jimbo Fisher in the background? Don't count on it

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It feels lately as if Florida State football is running in place and getting nowhere under Mike Norvell.

There’s no denying Norvell is working extremely hard, talking tough and trying his best to position the Seminoles (4-5 overall, 1-5 ACC) for a strong regular-season finish and potential lower-tier bowl game.

After last season’s 2-10 debacle, one would think, let’s say, a seven-win season would be viewed as an accomplishment. Norvell, of course, is also only two years removed from a 13-0 regular season that raised FSU’s first ACC Championship trophy since 2014.

Yet, questions about Norvell’s future continue to swirl due to his inability to sustain success in a collegiate landscape where winning has started to cost everyone more and the stakes are wildly higher.

The unrest and disappointing results surrounding FSU’s season have even pushed zealous fans on social media to call for the return of Jimbo Fisher to the Seminoles’ sidelines.

Let’s all exhale for a moment.

Yes, FSU leadership – specifically President Richard McCullough, Vice President and Athletic Director Michael Alford and Board of Trustees Chair Peter Collins – faces a near-impossible decision regarding Norvell and his $59 million buyout.

But there’s no doubt the trio has been circling around solutions and will be prepared when the time comes to answer the obvious question: What to do with the school’s head football coach?

Alford issued a public statement last month that the administration is “fully committed to helping Coach Norvell and the 2025 Seminoles strongly rebound” and that any decision would come at the end of the season.

But there’s also a feeling a move could be made sooner if things further deteriorate and undermine the dynastic legacy of Seminole success set by legendary coach Bobby Bowden.

Could Jimbo Fisher return? What FSU leaders are thinking about a possible coach search

It has been an exhausting ride in recent years for everyone associated with FSU football.

Norvell’s future hangs on the inherent winning culture at three-time national champion FSU combined with the intense pressure from supporters and stakeholders to remain at an elite status.

Some have lost faith in the sixth-year head coach, while others still believe in his vision that helped rebuild an FSU program in shambles when he arrived from Memphis in 2020. Norvell cares deeply and emphasizes building on player experiences.

While Alford’s vote of confidence after the brutal Stanford loss wasn’t what many fans wanted to hear, frankly, it was a smart, strategic decision not to fire Norvell at that time.

Sure there’s the $59 million buyout, but the administration’s preference is also to narrow the hiring window if a change is necessary. The longer a job is open, the more pressure there is to fill it. It’s also risky to show your hand too early.

Those close to the decision-making coming from Westcott indicate Alford’s candidate pool would feature coaches currently employed elsewhere. And FSU, which is still one of the better college football jobs, always seems to come up with the money when it needs to pay for and pay off coaches.

This might be the most active coaching carousel college football has witnessed in many years. The crowded market currently features nine Power 4 openings, including bluebloods Penn State, LSU, Auburn and Florida.

Identifying the next coaching messiah might not be realistic if there’s a shortage of seasoned candidates. Or is the potential fit another up-and comer like Norvell, who was at age 38 when introduced as the Seminoles’ new coach?

Norvell was regarded as one of the most respected offensive minds in college football at that time. Only Oklahoma and Ohio State averaged more points per game in the four seasons that Norvell coached at Memphis.

Of course, the trending topic among some fans and former players is to see Fisher back in Garnet and Gold.

Known for his significant success and controversial tenure, Fisher won the Seminoles’ third national title in 2013, but resigned after a 5-6 season in 2017 to take the job with the Aggies. Fired from A&M in 2023, the ACC analyst returned to Tallahassee and has recently indicated he wants to return to coaching.

“I’m 59 (turned 60 in October), in great shape and healthy. I’ve had success everywhere we’ve ever been,” Fisher said during an August appearance on the “Trials to Triumph” podcast hosted by former FSU player Freddie Stevenson.

Fisher even got emotional last month during an on-campus ACC telecast in the shadows of Doak Campbell Stadium about his time with the Seminoles. It was a genuine moment. However, a reunion between FSU and Fisher is not a great option due to his complicated exit that burned Boosters. File this one under “almost certainly won’t happen.”

Sequels are usually never as good as the original anyway.

The Virginia Tech test: Game may be a must-win

Still, decision makers at FSU indicate there are no guarantees on what happens next. Will Norvell stay into next season or will he be sent packing? Results – and a lot of soul-searching – will dictate that decision.

The administration at the moment is standing behind its head coach, who has been given every opportunity to be successful. That list includes salary, brand new facilities, resources, a winnable ACC and the strong backing of the administration.

It is up to Norvell, who has had opportunities to change and fix his team, to find something that works with three regular-season games remaining.

He must also keep his recruiting class intact despite the uncertainty surrounding his future. If he was able to hang on, he’d need to step up his recruiting game as his reliance on the transfer portal in the lucrative NIL era has become a regular point of criticism. And one has to dig deep, too, when researching how many high school recruits signed by Norvell at FSU have successfully landed in the NFL.

Earlier this week, a confident, somewhat defiant Norvell admitted the results over the past two seasons have not been nearly good enough.

But he also shared belief the Seminoles will win a championship “in the very near future.” Norvell defended the program’s trajectory, pointing to its “transitional phases.” He said he fixed the program once, he will fix it again, and pointed to his “elite expectations.”

Those words are understandable, true to his character and show Norvell’s fighting spirit.

But while the spirit is willing, the flash is weak.

Has he been given enough time to reverse the team’s slide? Is the pressure to build success different than the pressure to meet elevated expectations?

That’s what FSU leadership must untangle.

For whatever reason, the Seminoles’ performance has been incredibly inconsistent following their 3-0 start that included a win over nationally-ranked Alabama. While the Crimson Tide responded from that season-opening game, winning eight consecutive and maintaining the No. 4 slot in the second College Football Playoff rankings, FSU has repeatedly – and infuriatingly – let winning opportunities slip by.

And taking down Virginia Tech is an opportunity Norvell can’t afford to lose.

Can a strong finish save Norvell?

The Seminoles have remaining games against Virginia Tech (3-6, 2-3) at home Saturday, Nov. 15, at North Carolina State (5-4, 2-3) Friday, Nov. 21, and at Florida (3-6) Saturday Nov. 29.

A strong finish, at least on paper, appears plausible for the Seminoles.

The Hokies and Gators have interim head coaches, and NC State has lost two of its last three heading into Saturday’s game at No. 16 Miami (7-2). But we all know nothing has come easy for Norvell’s Seminoles the past two years.

They are 2-12 in ACC play dating back to 2024 and last won a road game in November 2023 at Florida.

Norvell, who is 37-32 in his sixth season with the Seminoles, is hanging on at FSU by a thread.

He’s 1-1 since Alford’s vote of confidence, beating Wake Forest at home and losing to Clemson on the road last Saturday.

And yet Norvell sincerely believes “we’re going to get the job done.” His plans of winning the final three games with a shot at an obscure bowl game could nudge a stagnant program forward.

But, honestly, will even that be enough?

Jim Henry is Tallahassee Democrat sports editor. Email him at jjhenry@tallahassee.com.

How to watch FSU football vs. Virginia Tech

When: Saturday, Nov. 15 / 7:30 p.m.
Where: Doak Campbell Stadium / Tallahassee, Florida
Watch: ACC Network

FSU schedule 2025

Here is Florida State‘s schedule and results. All times Eastern.

Aug. 30: vs Alabama | W 31-17
Sept. 6: vs East Texas A&M | W 77-3
Sept. 13: Bye
Sept. 20: vs Kent State | W 66-10
Sept. 26: at Virginia* | L 46-38 (2OT)
Oct. 4: vs Miami* | L 28-22
Oct. 11: vs Pittsburgh* | L 34-31
Oct. 18: at Stanford* | L 20-13
Oct. 25: Bye
Nov. 1: vs Wake Forest* | W 42-7
Nov. 8: at Clemson* | L 24-10
Nov. 15: vs Virginia Tech* | 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 21: at NC State* | 8 p.m. | ESPN | Fubo
Nov. 29: at Florida | TBA
Record: 4-5 (1-5 in ACC)

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Mike Norvell, Jimbo Fisher and the FSU coaching conundrum

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