Florida State extends contract of head coach Mike Norvell

Heading into the 2021 season, many Florida State fans were calling for the Seminoles to move on from head coach Mike Norvell, despite it only being his second season in Tallahassee; fast forward four weeks into the season, and the fans’ hope seemed highly possible, with Florida State — then 0-4 — falling short of the program’s expectations.

But several weeks later, Florida State announced on Tuesday that it has “verbally agreed” on a contract extension with Norvell, regardless of the fact that the Seminoles fell short of a bowl game for the second time in as many seasons under his tutelage.

Florida State in 2021 went just 5-6. The Seminoles to Florida by three in the regular-season finale, but had Norvell found a way to beat Florida, Florida State would have gone bowling, while the Gators would have been rendered ineligible.

Norvell was hired by Florida State prior to the 2020 season. In his two years at the helm, Florida has gone 8-13 overall with a 7-10 record in ACC play. Prior to his hiring, Norvell served as the head coach at Memphis, where he helped the Tigers eclipse a 38-16 record in four seasons, including four straight bowl appearances.

“I am incredibly thankful to the board of trustees, President McCullough, David Coburn and Michael Alford for their support of our climb,” Norvell said in a Florida State press release. “Because of the investments they have continued to make in the personnel and infrastructure supporting our program, our current roster will continue to develop alongside the future Seminoles who will be joining us in the coming days. This is an exciting time to be part of the Florida State program, and there are great days ahead.”

The terms of the extension were not disclosed by Florida State and have not yet been made public via open-record laws. However, his first contract kept him on campus through 2025, paying him a salary of $3.5 million in year one, increasing by roughly $200,000 per year until it reaches $4,035,000. In the most recent contract extension, Florida State did clarify one key term of the agreement: the extension is only for one year. Norvell is now under contract through 2026.

Florida State did improve substantially from the 0-4 start to the season. The Seminoles managed to beat Syracuse at home, North Carolina on the road and UMass at home in the next three weeks, amassing a three-game win streak that was cut short after a 10-point loss to Clemson. Norvell finished with five wins, beating Miami and Boston College as well.

According to Norvell’s first contract, his buyout clause was set at $5 million if he were fired in contract year one, decreasing by $1 million annually. Unless the terms were amended in his latest one-year extension, Norvell’s buyout decreases from $4 to $3 million in the 2022 season.