Mike Norvell luckily saved his job in the 2025 season, which saw the firings of multiple big names in college football head coaching, including James Franklin and Brian Kelly. However, that might change in the upcoming season, and Florida State Legend Danny Kanell reflected on this week how hot Norvell’s seat will be.
Danny Kanell Reveals Mike Norvell’s Job Security Outlook
Florida State seemed to be headed in the right direction when it opened the 2025 season with a stunning 31-17 upset over Alabama before crushing East Texas A&M 77-3 and then beating Kent State 66-10 to improve to 3-0.
However, Florida State later dropped its next four games and ultimately finished the season 5-7 overall with a 2-6 ACC record. After witnessing a disastrous 2-10 season in 2024, another disappointing season left Seminoles fans frustrated once again.
Florida State is also entering 2026 facing one of the toughest schedules in college football. However, Kanell said on CBS Sports’ College Football Show on Wednesday that he believes Norvell understands exactly what is required and shouldn’t be overwhelmed by the hot-seat rumors.
“I think he knows exactly what he has to do. If they don’t get to eight wins, he’s fired,” Kanell said. “There have been lists all offseason about who’s on the hottest hot seat. Mike Norvell is everybody’s hottest seat… I think that’s where Mike Norvell has to respond to that pressure. And he’s got to tap into the locker room of sort of us against the world mentality… You have to try to embrace that in that locker room.
“The bottom line is he knows this is a job at Florida State where the standard is higher than the last two seasons, and he has to do better or else they’ll be looking for a new coach.”
BUILD YOUR OWN TOP 100: PFN’s FREE NFL Top 100 Builder
Though Norvell is under huge pressure, his contract provides substantial financial protection. If he gets fired on December 31, the program will still owe him a reported $51 million buyout.
Many think Norvell’s buyout won’t save him, as we have seen LSU move on from Brian Kelly, even though he had a $54 million-dollar buyout. However, Norvell said he is not coaching out of fear for his job.
PREDICT THE CFB SEASON: PFN’s FREE CFB Playoff Predictor
“I don’t fear failure. I never have. I do fear regret,” Norvell told The Athletic on Wednesday, the first day of the ACC Kickoff media event. “And the only thing that I could be in control of is me, the team, the guys that I get to lead on a daily basis. And so, you know, I just want to make sure that I don’t regret any of the work or the investment into these guys to help put them in the best position for what I believe we can accomplish.”
Florida State fans are eager to see the program return to the heights of its 13-0 ACC championship season in 2023, when the Seminoles won 19 straight games. Let’s see if the Seminoles can live up to the hype when they open their 2026 season against New Mexico State on August 29.
