Florida State Coach Mike Norvell Gets a Blunt Warning Ahead of 2026 Season
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
Last fall, it didn’t take long for college football coaches to hit the unemployment line. It started with DeShaun Foster at UCLA and Brent Pry at Virginia Tech getting let go after Week 3 losses. One coach who survived the chopping block was Mike Norvell at Florida State.
Last fall, as time went on, more and more coaches lost their jobs, with James Franklin at Penn State and Brian Kelly at LSU being the two biggest names. However, it didn’t take Franklin long to land on his feet at Virginia Tech a month after being fired in State College.
There were a couple of reasons why Norvell survived. Likely the biggest reason was money. If FSU fired him, they would owe him more than $50 million, which is astronomical. However, being kept around for another season doesn’t mean he would be safe all season long. Blake Toppmeyer of USA Today had a prediction that should serve as a warning for Norvell going into 2026.
Florida State Coach Mike Norvell Gets Warning Ahead of 2026 Season
Toppmeyer made six predictions for the upcoming college football season. He predicted that Norvell would be the first coach fired this fall. Considering how close he came to getting fired a year ago, that really isn’t a huge prediction, but it certainly adds more pressure for Norvell going into a new season. FSU’s record the last couple of season’s is not what fans are used to and frustration is growing.
“Florida State has seven wins combined the past two seasons after going 13-1 in 2023. That’s beyond hot seat terrain. That’s the scalding zone, and we learned FSU sniffed around Lane Kiffin last year. It couldn’t lure in Kiffin, but it’ll have to face the buyout music if Norvell can’t reinject momentum,” Toppmeyer wrote.
Norvell is putting his future in the hands of transfers. He picked up some key ones, including quarterback Ashton Daniels from Auburn. He also landed former Auburn and Virginia Tech offensive lineman Xavier Chaplin. However, if things don’t go well and Norvell gets let go, Florida State would be an attractive job this coaching cycle, according to Toppmeyer.
“Norvell’s future will be in the hands of another transfer-laden roster, including his fourth starting quarterback in as many years,” Toppmeyer wrote. “Unlike last fall, when multiple premier jobs opened, Florida State could be one of the hottest openings this year. Plant your flag first?”
Florida State Faces Tough Schedule in Pivotal Season for Mike Norvell
Norvell won’t have to wait long to get things going in 2026. The Seminoles will host New Mexico State on Aug. 29, Week 0. They will then kick off ACC play on Sept. 7 at home against SMU, which is predicted to finish second in the conference this season. After a bye week, FSU heads to Alabama for a non-conference game on Sept. 19.
Things don’t get any easier with home conference games against Virginia and Clemson sandwiched around road games at Louisville and Miami. That’s not an ideal schedule for someone entering the season on the hot seat.
Florida State has missed bowl games the last two seasons, and a third straight season without a post-Thanksgiving game might be too much for Norvell to overcome to save his job.
Like HEAVY's content?Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Florida State Coach Mike Norvell Gets a Blunt Warning Ahead of 2026 Season appeared first on HEAVY.
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos