Memphis turns up heat on old HC Mike Norvell's seat at FSU

Florida State HC Mike Norvell Melina Myers-Imagn Images

Memphis turns up heat on old coach Mike Norvell's seat at Florida State

By Austen Bundy | Last updated Sep 14, 2024 5:36 PM ET

Florida State is 0-3 for the second time under head coach Mike Norvell's leadership in Tallahassee.

Saturday's embarrassing 20-12 loss to Memphis, his old team, may start turning the writing on his office wall into a notice of termination. (Norvell coached the Tigers from 2016-19, leading the program to a conference championship for the first time since 2014.)

In the defeat, Seminoles quarterback DJ Uiagalelei failed to find the end zone through the air for the second time in three games this season and also threw his second interception of the season. The former five-star recruit has compiled a dismal 666 passing yards (and a single touchdown) while completing just 56 of 99 attempts (56.5% completions).

Get @Tahj_El21 #ALLIN | @ESPNCFB

| https://t.co/QbNU577FYM pic.twitter.com/hiOpOVL1H1
— Memphis Football (@MemphisFB) September 14, 2024

Norvell needed a win Saturday to show school leadership that he could right the ship after falling to unranked ACC opponents each of the first two weeks.

Florida State entered the season ranked No. 10 in the country with national championship aspirations after going undefeated and being snubbed from the College Football Playoff in 2023.

Now win-less in 2024, all that (and possibly more) is out the window. Florida State is now the sixth team in the last 50 seasons to start 0-3 after being ranked in the preseason Top 10, according to the ESPN broadcast. It's also the first to do so after completing an undefeated season since Arizona State in 1976.

Whether Norvell has to pack his bags after this week or will have until the end of the year to show some semblance of life remains to be seen. Norvell would be owed $6 million if shown the door in 2024. That's a tough pill to swallow but maybe the right one if Florida State wants to start fresh in 2025.

Austen Bundy

Austen Bundy is a journalist and sports junkie from the Washington, D. C. area

More must-reads: