Florida State to retain coach Mike Norvell for 2026 season - ESPN

Florida State coach Mike Norvell will return for a seventh season with the Seminoles, sources told ESPN on Sunday.

Questions had been mounting about his job security and reached a boiling point after a 21-11 loss to NC State on Friday night that dropped the Seminoles to 5-6. They need a win at Florida this weekend to achieve bowl eligibility.

«FSU Board of Trustees Chairman Peter Collins, Vice President and Director of Athletics Michael Alford, and I are in complete agreement that changes are needed for our program to improve,» FSU president Dr. Richard McCullough said in a statement. «Coach Norvell embraces our support in that process and agrees that success must be achieved. He continues to demonstrate an unwavering belief in this program's future, and so do we.

»This decision reflects a unified commitment to competing in the rapidly evolving landscape of college football, while maintaining continuity within the program."

Over the last two years, Florida State is 7-16 — 3-13 in ACC play — and winless on the road. But Norvell did win an ACC title in 2023 and has maintained his optimism for the future.

«This program has been built on belief, sacrifice, and putting the team first,» Norvell said in a statement. «That set of values has always guided my actions, and those of our players. The driving motivation behind this is to make certain that we are doing everything properly to obtain and retain elite players, add critical pieces, and sustain long-term success. I love Florida State, and I am fully committed to this program, and our shared goals.

Had Florida State moved on from Norvell, the school would have owed him about $54 million in buyout money. All told, including staff salaries, Florida State would have owed about