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How close was Florida State football head coach Mike Norvell to being the replacement for legendary head coach Nick Saban at Alabama?
Per an ESPN article Wednesday morning, the Crimson Tide had serious discussions with Norvell to the point that FSU had already tabbed a replacement: Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin.
“In fact, in the wee hours of that Friday morning, the fear among Florida State officials was that Norvell was close to trading his FSU garnet for Alabama crimson. Sources told ESPN that Florida State was poised to move quickly if that happened and that Kiffin would be a prime candidate.”
Norvell never disclosed to ESPN if he was offered the Alabama coaching position, but did indicate that the job held serious interest for him.
“You respect the place. You respect the position,” Norvell said of Alabama. “At the end of the day, it still comes down to the right fit. It still comes down to the place you want to be.”
Saban announced his retirement to his players on Wednesday, Jan. 10. The same day rumors emerged Norvell was a top candidate for the Crimson Tide position.
According to Chris Low, eventual hire and former Washington coach Kalen DeBoer and Norvell were seen as the top replacements from the jump.
Rumors swirled for the next couple of days, while Norvell continued business as usual, even adding a transfer from Alabama while flirting with the job.
At 11:51 a.m. Friday, FSU athletics director Michael Alford sent out a tweet signaling good news for the FSU faithful. That was followed by a Norvell tweet confirming he was staying, as he and the university agreed upon a contract extension which would pay him more than $10 million annually.
According to the ESPN report, DeBoer was offered the job on Friday morning, the same day Norvell and FSU agreed to an extension. DeBoer and the Crimson Tide agreed to a contract by 2 p.m.
Mike Norvell contract and buyout
As part of his new deal with FSU, Norvell will make more than $10 million annually, but there was also reassurance more money would be committed for his football administrative staff and a larger recruiting budge.
Here’s a breakdown of his salary by year.
$10,000,000 in 2024
$10,150,000 in 2025
$10,300,000 in 2026
$10,450,000 in 2027
$10,600,000 in 2028
$10,750,000 in 2029
$10,090,000 in 2030
$11,050,00 in 2031
Per the USA Today coaches salary data, Norvell would have been the sixth highest-paid coach during the 2023 season with his 2024 salary at $10 million. That sits behind former Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker ($10,015,350) and ahead of LSU’s Brian Kelly ($9,975,000).
Norvell, 42, won multiple Coach of the Year awards last season as a result of the strong year by the Seminoles. He is 31-17 in his four seasons with FSU, including 23-4 over the last two seasons.
His buyout was a hot topic for the fanbase when it came to a contract extension, as it could have been preventative for other schools to poach him.
Norvell’s buyout numbers by year:
2024: $6 million
2025: $4 million
2026: $3 million
2027-28: $2 million
2029: $1 million
2030-31: No termination fee
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