Mike Norvell is getting paid, and as he does, I picture him flipping the bird to all the haters. To the college football playoff committee, the ACC, the NCAA and all the media doubters. Hell, he’s probably flipping me the bird as well.
And good for the man. Norvell is set to become a $10 million a year coach and standing up for Florida State has him already at legend status.
The following has happened to Norvell in the past two months:
- His star QB got hurt
- He finished an undefeated season with an ACC title
- His team got robbed of a college playoff berth
- He lost a 5 star commit in KJ Bolden
- His university began legal action against the ACC and the Grant of Rights,
- He lost the Orange Bowl 63-3 with a depleted roster
- His program was hit with NCAA penalties for delivering a transfer portal prospect to a booster collective.
- Had his name mentioned for the suddenly open Alabama job, vacated by legend Nick Saban.
And what has Norvell done the entire time? Worked. He’s worked and kept quiet.
That’s kind of who Norvell has always been. He’s a quiet leader who puts his head down and works. He was hired at FSU from Memphis during COVID and was at a massive recruiting disadvantage in the Southeast as a result. He inherited a mess of a program thrown under the bus by Jimbo Fisher and run into the ground by Willie Taggart. He went 8-15 in his first two seasons and many questioned if he was the right guy. But in typical Norvell fashion, he kept his head down and just worked.
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He hit the transfer portal due to the high school recruiting disadvantages of being a new head coach in a new place during a time when high school recruiting was limited. And he hit a home run. He led his team to a 10-3 record in 2022 and went undefeated in 2023 before the snub. And through it all he just continued to work.
FSU gave Norvell a chance and stuck with him in an age where some coaches get run out after two seasons. The administration believed in him when others, like me, didn’t think he could get it done. And when Alabama showed interest, and I’m sure they did, he never blinked despite all the disadvantages of the ACC and the disappointing way the 2023 season ended. Once again Norvell just blocked it out and continued to work and is now being rewarded for his loyalty.
In many ways, Mike Norvell is saving Florida State. Saving them from the downfall after Fisher, saving them from the embarrassment of losing another coach to the mighty SEC and saving them from replacing a guy who has brought them back to the elite heights they enjoyed under Bobby Bowden. But FSU saved Norvell first, sticking with him and showing their own loyalty when he struggled out of the gate. This is a great match and it’s good to see loyalty shown and returned.
For the first time since the clock struck zero in the Louisville game there is good news and joy in Tallahassee. They are keeping their man, the perfect guy to drown out all the noise and keep the program focused on bigger things. For Norvell, the money is nice, but legendary status is likely more important.
