Mike Norvell hot seat: Here's what FSU football owes if it fires coach

If Florida State president Richard McCullough thought he'd heard enough from upset Seminoles fans begging to fire Mike Norvell, imagine how his inbox and DMs must look now.Norvell might have survived the bye week after FSU nearly pulled off an incredible upset against now-No. 1 Miami (and there's a good argument his team got robbed of the chance). But a 36-24 loss at home to a moribund Clemson team with one of the most sluggish offenses in the country might prove to be the end of the line. Not even the fan protest went right with a plane banner imploring FSU to "fire Novell."The Noles are now 3-5 and, even worse, just 1-4 in ACC play. Norvell has a 4-17 conference record since leading FSU to a 13-0 start in 2023. McCullough already knows the numbers; he fired athletic director Michael Alford, who signed Norvell to a massive contract extension after that charmed 2023 season, in September and this past week preached patience to fans crying for change."Would we like this to move faster? Absolutely," McCullough wrote in a social media post to fans on Oct. 27. "But meaningful, lasting change requires us to make the right moves in the right order, at the right time, and that is what we are committed to doing. Our responsibility it to make the right decisions for Florida State's long-term future."He might have been talking about the AD search (which apparently is finally about to begin), but fans and the college football landscape have also been watching the clock tick week after week on Norvell's time in Tallahassee. His Noles forced four turnovers and still lost at home to SMU in Week 2, blew an early lead en route to a blowout at Alabama the following game and gave up nearly 400 rushing yards in another crushing defeat at Louisville."We all have a job to do," Norvell said of McCullough's statement. "At the end of the day, my job is to make sure that this football team is continuing to grow, to get better, to perform and go out there and get the desired results. That's what we all aspire for on a daily basis."The shockingly high figures of Norvell's buyout make the decision to let him go tough to make. Here's what to know about his contract, including how much Florida State would owe him if it decides to fire him after the Clemson game:Mike Norvell buyoutIf Florida State were to fire Norvell after the Oct. 31 game against Clemson, it would owe him $47.1 million, according to contract information obtained by USA TODAY Sports. It would be the third-highest buyout in college football history, behind only the $76.8 million Jimbo Fisher got from Texas A&M in 2023 and the $54 million Brian Kelly got from LSU just last year.Norvell's buyout total is dictated by his contract, which stipulates Norvell receives 85% of his base salary and supplemental pay for the remainder of the contract. If he is fired on Dec. 1, Norvell would be owed about $46.5 million.But FSU likely won't have to pay all that money. According to the contract, Norvell is obligated to mitigate and seek a market-rate salary immediately upon being terminated. If he gets a new job, the amount owed by FSU would be reduced by the amount of Norvell's new salary. That's the same stipulation that got James Franklin's buyout from Penn State lowered from $49 million to $9 million when he got the Virginia Tech job.That said, assessments reported elsewhere, including by Pete Nakos of On3, indicate FSU will need to spend about $100 million if it wants to clean house by firing Norvell and his staff, including defensive coordinator Tony White and new offensive coordinator Tim Harris Jr.Norvell's contract expires Dec. 31, 2031 after signing an extension after the 2023 season. If FSU fires Norvell, it is required to pay his buyout either in equal monthly installments over the remainder of that deal or in one lump sum.Mike Norvell salary, contract detailsNorvell is scheduled to earn $10.3 million in 2026, not including bonuses. He made $5.65 million in 2025 because of an agreed-upon one-year salary reduction before that season. Here's what he's owed per year over the remainder of his contract:2026: $10.3 million2027: $10.45 million2028: $10.6 million2029: $10.75 million2030: $10.9 million2031: $11.05 millionMike Norvell record at Florida StateACC record in parentheses:2020: 3-6 (2-6)2021: 5-7 (4-4)2022: 10-3 (5-3)2023: 13-1 (8-0)2024: 2-10 (1-7)2025: 5-7 (2-6)2026: 3-5 (1-4)Overall: 41-39 (23-30)FSU football schedule 2026Here is Florida State's schedule and results for this season, including known TV info. All times Eastern.Aug. 29: Florida State 34, New Mexico State 17Sept. 7: SMU 27, Florida State 24*Sept. 12: OpenSept. 19: Alabama 50, Florida State 36Sept. 26: Florida State 34, Central Arkansas 7Oct. 3: Florida State 38, Virginia 7*Oct. 9:Louisville 44, Florida State 20*Oct. 17:Miami 43, Florida State 35 (2OT)*Oct. 24: OpenOct. 31: Clemson xx, Florida State xx*Nov. 7: Florida State at Boston College* | Noon | ACC NetworkNov. 13: Florida State at Pittsburgh* | 7 p.m. | ESPNNov. 21: Florida State vs. North Carolina State* | TBDNov. 27:Florida State vs. Florida | 3:30 p.m. | ABCRecord: 3-5 (1-4 in ACC)*- ACC gameThis article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Mike Norvell hot seat: Here's what FSU football owes if it fires coach