Mike Norvell should be on alert after Florida State fires athletic director

Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Mike Norvell should be on alert after Florida State fires athletic director

By Andrew Wright | Last updated Sep 14, 2026 12:58 PM ET

It was widely expected heading into the college football season that the Florida State Seminoles and head coach Mike Norvell would part ways at some point.

That decision has been expected to come sooner rather than later and the first domino in that process may have fallen with an announcement Monday morning.

Florida State has fired its athletic director

According to On3's Pete Nakos, the University has fired athletic director Michael Alford. Alford took over as the AD at Florida State in 2022 after briefly serving as the CEO of the Seminole Boosters.

Unless there were outside factors that led to the dismissal of Alford, it certainly feels like that is the first step in the direction of Norvell's eventual firing.

BREAKING: Florida State has fired athletic director Michael Alford, @PeteNakos confirms. https://t.co/vlPJN85dhT pic.twitter.com/ESKMdDfw5w
— On3 (@On3) September 14, 2026

BREAKING: Florida State has dismissed vice president and director of athletics Michael Alford, per @aadelsonESPN

Alford had held the role since January 2022, but had been scrutinized for his decision to keep head football coach Mike Norvell following a 2-7 finish after a 3-0… pic.twitter.com/5QucQzSCFQ
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) September 14, 2026

How much longer can Mike Norvell keep his job?

Outside of a Week 4 game against Central Arkansas, the Seminoles have a brutal schedule from Week 3 through Week 7. That stretch includes games against nationally ranked teams such as Alabama, Louisville, Virginia and Miami.

Those will all be games that Florida State is major underdogs in and will need to play nearly a perfect game to pull off an upset. It feels very likely that the Seminoles will lose all four of those games against ranked opponents and enter a game on Halloween night against the Clemson Tigers with a 2-5 record.

If he hasn't been fired prior to that game, a loss against Clemson likely signals the end of the Norvell era. He may somehow pull off a few upsets this season, but the end is much closer than the beginning for Norvell at Florida State.

Andrew Wright

Andrew "Dew" Wright graduated from Charleston Southern University with a degree in Communication Studies. He is a lifelong Chicago Cubs and Washington Commanders fan.

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