The Athletic: Florida State University fires head coach Mike Norvell, on the hook for around a $47M buyout
A long time ago, I read this article that opined that the greatest job in sport had to have third-string quarterback in the NFL. It was a valid opinion, because QBs are already coddled like crazy to begin with, and in the event that QB1 does get hurt, most of the time the marching orders to QB2 are to hand off the ball and put the weight of the offense on the run game, because presumably QB2’s arm is nowhere near as good as QB1.
That being said, QB3s exist as this fail-safe for a really rare event, where QB2 also gets creamed and has to be pulled out of the game, and there’s only one type of player who can be quarterbacks, as opposed to just about any other position on offense or defense being able to be cobbled together by someone else on a football squad’s expansive roster.
Needless to say, QB3s get paid NFL money, rarely see action, but are still seen as essential personnel to command actual compensation. Sounds like a great job, if there ever was one.
However, with the news of Mike Norvell’s firing from FSU, and subsequent estimated $47M buyout just to get rid of him, I’m beginning to think that perhaps the greatest job in sports has to be the fired HC from a reputable program. Sure, there is a lot more legwork and prerequisites that go into the role, but if you’re good enough to get there, it really is kind of the ultimate job, where initially, you’re seen as a scapegoat, but fans of the sports typically can recall the seasons that got you the compensation and the position to command such money, and best of all you end up sitting on your ass while making multiple millions of dollars, to wait out the remainder of it, before some desperate program will gladly pay more money the second you’re available.
Like the case with Norvell, sure, his overall record at FSU was a pedestrian 41-39, barely over .500 history, but most CFB fans might recall that FSU went a perfect 13-0 in 2023 under Norvell, and was absolutely demoralized by the CFB playoff committee, that declared a 1-loss Alabama squad to be more worthy of the final playoff spot over them.
The program spiraled after that, and yeah Norvell’s firing checks out as far as circumstances that leads to a HC’s dismissal, but I also attribute FSU’s poor play throughout the years to the wild west of the dawn of the NIL era and transfer portal ping-ponging talent all over the CFB landscape, with FSU eating its own share of transfers and roster shuffling as most powerful programs all have been dealing with over recent years.
The point remains that Mike Norvell is now sitting pretty because he and his $47M buyout gets to be added to the Rushmore of fired HCs to be entitled to massive buyouts, joining Jimbo Fisher’s $77M from Texas A&M, and Brian Kelly’s $54M from LSU, and Mark Stoops $37M from Kentucky.*
*James Franklin would be on this Rushmore with his $48M that Penn State owed him upon firing, but because he recovered so quickly by getting hired by Virginia Tech, it mitigated down to “just” $9M
Like seriously, look at that latter scenario, even a HC from Kentucky’s football, not basketball, can get $37M from getting fired. For those who can be fortunate enough to be good at coaching to get picked up by a Power-4 school, there’s a ton of money and a cush job to be had for when you get fired.
It really is a good thing that the NIL era is upon us, and players are getting compensation these days, because imagine the sheer riots that would ensue if players were back to not getting paid, and them finding out that there are a handful coaches out there that have been fired and are not working that are banking hundreds of millions of dollars, while waiting for their next gigs.
So like I said, it may be harder to put themselves into the position to where it could come to fruition, but for those who can, there really can’t be any better job in the world of sports than being a fired head coach with a massive buyout.
