Incredible: Mike Norvell, the current head coach of the Florida State Football, has formally announced his return to his former team
The Seminoles did not disclose the terms of the agreement, but the Associated Press verified early Yahoo reports that the deal is for eight years and more than $10 million annually, citing a source with direct knowledge of the terms.
The deal was reached at the same time that Norvell’s name had surfaced in media reports as Nick Saban, the coach of Alabama, announced his retirement on Thursday, might take over.
The Washington coach Kalen DeBoer, whose squad finished second to Michigan in the national championship game, inked a contract to take Alabama’s job, according to reports from the Associated Press and ESPN on Friday night. Since neither school had disclosed DeBoer’s decision, the AP quoted an anonymous source.
“We arrived in Tallahassee four years ago, and it was an experience that changed his life,” Norvell said in a seminoles.com statement. Understanding the rich history, customs, and expectations has influenced our employees every day. These past four years have been an amazing journey, and I have developed a deep love for this program, the university, and the people I get to represent.
I can’t wait to keep pushing Florida State to the top of the collegiate football standings. In order to help our players become the best versions of themselves in every aspect of their lives, we are dedicated to giving it our all both on and off the field. I am so appreciative of President McCullough’s incredible dedication to our student-athletes and staff.
After quarterback Jordan Travis suffered a season-ending injury in 2023, Norvell guided the Seminoles (13-1) to an undefeated regular season. However, they were the first undefeated Power Five conference champion to be eliminated from the College Football Playoffs.
Having not been chosen for the College Football Playoffs, the Seminoles have encountered some hardship. After becoming the first undefeated team in CFP history to be excluded, Norvell stood up for his program and expressed his anger at being left out.
The league’s grant of rights connecting the program to the Atlantic Coast Conference is being contested by the program in a lawsuit it filed against the league.
The Seminoles then lost a lot of their important players.lost in the Orange Bowl 63-3 to Georgia due to injuries or the NFL Draft prior to the bowl game. A Florida State assistant coach was suspended for the first three games of the 2024 season, the NCAA said on Thursday.
The coach broke recruiting regulations by arranging a meeting between a prospective transfer and a representative of a name, image, and likeness collective while on an official visit.
FSU consented to a two-year probationary period, the loss of five football scholarships over the following two seasons, and additional recruiting limitations, such as fewer official visits. Also, the school was hit with a $5,000 fine.
The 42-year-old Norvell has significantly improved the program in his four seasons at Florida State, going 31-17 overall, including 23-4 in the most recent season.
The Seminoles finished 3-6 in his first season as coach, but Norvell persevered through the COVID-19 pandemic to gradually rebuild the program. The team finished sixth in the final Top 25 rankings despite the crushing loss in the Orange Bowl.
Norvell was named the 2023 Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year and the AFCA Region 1 Coach of the Year. He was also one of five finalists for the Maxwell Football Club’s George Munger Coach of the Year Award and one of twelve for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award.
