This deep-dive covers everything a reader or fan wants to know about the Florida State football coach — with special focus on Mike Norvell coaching history, the FSU football coaching staff 2025, the Florida State football offensive coordinator, schedules, salary and buyout details, historical context and answers to the most common FAQs fans and reporters ask.
At a glance — the most important quick facts
- Head coach: Mike Norvell (hired Dec. 8, 2019; head coach since 2020).
- 2025 season: Official 2025 schedule and game list are published by Florida State Athletics and major outlets (ESPN/FBSchedules).
- Buyout / contract reporting: public reporting indicates a large buyout obligation if Norvell were fired — reporting varies by outlet but has put the number in the multi-million-dollar range.
- Salary estimates (2024–2025): public reports list Norvell’s compensation in the ~\$9–10M range for recent seasons; exact figures depend on bonuses, restructuring and official university filings.
1. Mike Norvell — coaching history (full picture)
Michael Kelly Norvell (born October 11, 1981) rose quickly through the coaching ranks thanks to his offensive acumen and recruiting. His coaching résumé includes positions as a graduate assistant and position coach, Power Five offensive coordinator stops, a Group-of-Five head coaching breakthrough at Memphis, and the high-profile hiring at Florida State at the end of 2019.
Early years and coordinator stops
Norvell worked his way through Central Arkansas (GA/WR), Tulsa (position coach and passing-game coordinator), Pittsburgh (co-offensive coordinator/WR), and Arizona State (offensive coordinator / assistant head coach). That period established his reputation as a creative, fast-paced offensive coach and recruiter.
Head coach at Memphis (2016–2019)
Hired at Memphis in December 2015, Norvell turned that program into a consistent winner and left after some of the best group-of-five seasons in school history (including an 11-1 regular season in 2019 and an AAC championship). His Memphis success is what propelled him to the Florida State job.
Florida State (2020–present)
Norvell was hired by FSU on Dec. 8, 2019 and took over the Seminoles program in the 2020 season. Since then he has mixed rebuilding seasons with major highs (including an ACC Championship season) and challenging years; by 2025 he remains the program’s head coach. The official FSU staff directory and profile provide Norvell’s biography and coaching timeline.
2. Mike Norvell — teams coached (summary)
A short, searchable list of the primary teams Norvell has coached or led:
- Central Arkansas (player & early GA role)
- Tulsa (GA / passing-game / receivers coach)
- Pittsburgh (co-offensive coordinator / WR coach)
- Arizona State (OC / AHC)
- Memphis (head coach, 2016–2019)
- Florida State (head coach, 2020–present).
3. FSU football coaching staff 2025 — who’s on the staff
The makeup of a Power Five staff changes year-to-year, and FSU’s 2025 coaching staff blends retained assistants, re-hires and portal-era additions. Head coach Mike Norvell leads a staff that — in 2024–2025 reporting — includes coordinators and position coaches hired to support Norvell’s offense-first identity and to shore up defensive consistency. For the university’s official directory and up-to-date names, the FSU staff page is the single best source.
Notable staff notes heading into 2025:
- Defensive leadership: FSU has emphasized defensive coaching hires and some veteran defensive coordinators and assistant coaches in recent offseasons to stabilize the unit.
- Safeties and DBs: Recent hires (for example, experienced FBS safeties/DB coaches) were added to boost the back end. (See local coverage on staff moves.) 10
- Offensive continuity: Norvell historically favors an up-tempo, spread-influenced scheme — the staff and offensive coordinator(s) are chosen to fit that style.
4. Florida State football offensive coordinator
The Florida State football offensive coordinator role under Norvell has been central to the program’s identity. Norvell, an offensive coach by trade, has sometimes called plays himself and sometimes delegated to a trusted OC depending on staff composition and strategy. Exact OC names and responsibilities have been reported in yearly staff announcements and are available on the official FSU coaches roster and roster/coaches pages.
How the OC role has been used
– Sometimes Norvell designates a named offensive coordinator who handles playcalling.
– In other seasons he has shared playcalling or kept playcalling authority while the OC focused on game-planning, QBs and scheming.
– The practical effect: continuity in the offense even when OC titles change — Norvell’s offensive philosophy runs through the staff.
5. Florida State football schedule (2025)
Florida State’s official athletics site and major schedule aggregators list the complete 2025 slate (non-conference and ACC games). The FSU 2025 schedule is published on the Florida State site and on outlets such as ESPN and FBSchedules.com; those pages carry dates, TV windows and ticket links. Expect rivalry dates (Miami, Florida) and ACC rotations that shape the season’s high-stakes matchups.
Example (selected 2025 games from public schedules):
- Season opener vs. Alabama (neutral/high-profile opener). 13
- Non-conference matchups such as Kent State and others that appear on aggregated schedule pages. 14
6. ‘Florida State football coach fired’ — history & context
Firing a head coach is always a consequential decision. Historically, FSU has fired head coaches (or accepted resignations) at key transition points — a recent example is Willie Taggart, who was fired midway through the 2019 season and ultimately replaced by Mike Norvell. FSU’s coaching history (Bobby Bowden, Jimbo Fisher, short tenures like Taggart’s) shows the program’s high expectations and low tolerance for prolonged decline.
What happens when a coach is fired at a program like FSU
Financially, firing a high-paid Power Five coach typically triggers a large buyout obligation from the athletic department; that cost — plus the need to hire a replacement — is a major factor in timing and decision-making. Public reporting about Mike Norvell’s buyout has highlighted that replacing him would be expensive.
7. Florida state football coach salary (what’s public)
Reported figures for Mike Norvell’s compensation vary by source because final yearly compensation includes base pay, performance bonuses, incentives and any contributions he agreed to (or was asked to make) to university initiatives. Aggregators and sports pay reporting in 2024–2025 have listed Norvell’s annual package in the high single-digit to low double-digit millions (roughly \$9–10M reported estimates in public outlets). Always consult the university athletics financial disclosures or the official contract filing (when released) for exact numbers.
8. Florida State football coach history — quick timeline
FSU’s modern coaching timeline includes historic long-tenure coaches and short-run transitional hires. The most relevant recent coaches:
- Bobby Bowden (1976–2009) — legendary era, multiple national title runs. 18
- Jimbo Fisher (2010–2017) — national championship coach (2013 season), left for Texas A&M. 19
- Willie Taggart (2018–2019) — fired during 2019; Norvell hired in Dec. 2019. 20
- Mike Norvell (2020–present) — current coach as of 2025, with highs (ACC title season) and setbacks across his tenure.
9. Florida state football coach 2022 — who was the coach that year?
The Florida state football coach 2022 was Mike Norvell. He led the Seminoles through the 2022 season as head coach — the program continued rebuilding under his direction that year. For season-by-season details, FSU’s official archives and season recaps list staff, results and roster moves.
10. Florida state football coach son (family / personal life)
For readers searching the phrase Florida state football coach son: Mike Norvell is married to Maria Norvell and public profiles indicate the couple have children. Recent biographical write-ups and family profiles mention a daughter; for any questions about the coach’s private family life, rely on reputable profiles or the coach’s own public statements. (Respect privacy — players and coaches often keep family details out of the spotlight.)
11. Common FAQs (short, searchable answers)
Who is the new football coach at FSU?
As of the 2025 season the head coach at Florida State is Mike Norvell. He was hired December 8, 2019 and remains the program’s leader into 2025. For the official staff directory see the Florida State Athletics staff page. 24
Is Mike Norvell staying at FSU?
Public reporting through 2024–2025 shows Norvell under contract and coaching the Seminoles. Whether he remains beyond any given season depends on team performance, athletic department decisions and mutual agreements — those developments are covered in local and national sports press as they happen. For current status always check the FSU athletic site or major outlets (ESPN, AP, etc.).
What is Mike Norvell’s buyout?
Multiple outlets have reported different figures for Norvell’s buyout depending on the contract version and timing of a hypothetical firing. Recent reporting has suggested an effective multi-million dollar buyout obligation (estimates have appeared in public sports reporting). For precise contractual numbers consult the contract or official university announcement when it’s released; sports reporting (Yahoo, AOL, Sports Illustrated and others) have written explanatory pieces on the buyout structure. 26
Who was the former football coach at Florida State?
Immediately prior to Mike Norvell the program went through Willie Taggart (2018–2019, fired during 2019), and before Taggart was Jimbo Fisher (2010–2017). The program’s storied history also includes Bobby Bowden (1976–2009). A full list of head coaches is available on the FSU coaching history pages and Wikipedia’s list of head coaches. 27
12. Analysis — Norvell’s strengths, areas to watch, and what the data says
Strengths: Norvell brings offensive creativity, recruiting connections (especially in the Southeast) and a demonstrated ability to lead a program back to title contention (ACC championship season).
Areas to watch: FSU’s defense, depth in key positions (OL, DB), and injury risk at QB have been recurring themes in season previews. Coaching staff continuity, transfer portal management and NIL dynamics also shape roster construction in a way that makes year-to-year forecasting less stable than a decade ago. 29
- Florida State official — Mike Norvell staff profile.
- Florida State official — 2025 Football Schedule.
- ESPN — Florida State 2025 schedule & results.
- Yahoo Sports — Mike Norvell buyout & contract details (explanatory piece).
- Wikipedia — List of Florida State Seminoles head football coaches (history).
- FBSchedules — FSU 2025 schedule (aggregated).
15. Final thoughts — what to watch in 2025
The 2025 season will clarify whether Norvell’s program can sustain the highs of conference titles and return to consistent national contention. Keep an eye on: staff stability (especially the defensive staff), depth rebuilt through portal and recruiting, and the results in marquee games on the schedule. The combination of high expectations and the financial reality of modern coaching contracts shapes every decision — so news outlets will closely watch both on-field results and any contract/AD communications.