Florida State Pays Nearly $50 Million to Fire Mike Norvell, and Eli Drinkwitz Already Said No Thanks

Florida State fired Mike Norvell on Sunday, about 12 hours after a 36-24 home loss to Clemson, and took on a buyout of nearly $50 million to do it. By Tuesday, the first big name on everybody’s wish list had already said no thanks.

“I’m not a candidate at Florida State,” Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said, per Yahoo Sports. His No. 19 Tigers are 6-2 and host No. 10 Texas on Saturday, which is about as good a reason as any to change the subject.

How we got here

Florida State is 3-5 and has lost three straight: at Louisville, at Miami and at home to Clemson. The losses also include 27-24 at home to SMU and 50-36 at Alabama.
Norvell went 41-39 in six-plus seasons, according to the Associated Press, and 10-22 since the start of 2024.
Assistant Rick Stockstill is the interim coach. FSU is at Boston College on Saturday.

My take

Remember 2023? Florida State went 13-0, won the ACC and got left out of the playoff. Everybody, me included, said that was a crime. Three years later, the same school is paying a coach roughly $50 million to go away. That’s the fastest fall from “robbed” to “rebuild” I can remember.

And here’s the part nobody wants to say out loud: the buyout is the story, not the firing. Schools hand out these extensions after one great year because they’re scared somebody else will hire their guy. Then the great year doesn’t repeat, and the bill comes due. Florida State knew what this contract cost when it kept Norvell after last season. It paid anyway.

As for Drinkwitz, smart answer. You don’t talk about another job the week Texas comes to town. If Missouri wins Saturday, his phone gets louder, not quieter. If Missouri loses, he’ll be glad he said nothing.

So who should Florida State hire? Somebody who has won somewhere that isn’t easy. That’s my only rule. Tell me your name.

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Jeremy Durham is a sports columnist for TriStar Daily and the founder of Five and a Fade.

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