Florida State is only two games into their 2026 regular season, but it already seems like the firing of head football coach Mike Norvell is an inevitability. The 1-1 Seminoles travel to Alabama this weekend for a blueblood matchup that coud hasten Norvell's exit from Tallahassee.
Bruce Feldman recently asserted in The Athletic that Norvell's firing was more a question of "when" than if. Some Florida State supporters might have been encouraged by some aspects of their team's play in a narrow home loss to SMU last week, but more critical fans would point out just how hapless their defense looked when trying to slow down the Mustangs' attack.
It's important to note that Norvell's job security took a major hit when the University decided to part ways with Athletic Director Michael Alford this week. He was the administrator who hired Norvell and the school's decision to fire him was centered heavily around questions about the status of the football program on the whole.
Add it all up and it seems clear that Norvell's heading towards an ugly exit. The big question Florida State must answer is when is the best time to initiate such a big change with their flagship athletic program. Pull the trigger too soon and they could suffer through multiple months of losing and embarassment. Wait too late and potential candidates for the opening might choose to cast their lots elsewhere.
When will Florida State fire Mike Norvell?
Fortunately for Florida State officials, an obvious answer to this question does exist. The school follows their trip to Alabama with a layup home game against Central Arkansas. Then the Seminoles undergo a gauntlet of tough competition by taking on Virginia, Louisville and Miami before finally hitting their bye weekend.
It's easy to envision the October 17th trip to Miami as Norvell's last stand. The Seminoles will take on one of their biggest rivals as significant road underdogs. A lopsided loss to the Hurricanes could easily become the last straw for Norvell's tenure with Florida State.
Firing him in the aftermath of an ugly loss to Miami would be an easy sell for the administration. It would also give them extra time to let a new coach install some measure of his ideas before a Halloween home game against Clemson.
Interestingly, there are rumors that Jimbo Fisher is campaigning behind the scenes for a return to the sidelines for the Seminoles. He could turn into a cost-effective option given the money he earned from Texas A&M after they chose to fire him. Of course, valis questions still remain about how successful he might be in this era after his struggles with the Aggies.
Norvell is not the long-term answer at Florida State and it's only a matter of time before he is given his pink slip. Expect a new voice to be in charge of the Seminoles before they take on the Tigers on Oct. 31.
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