Florida State president Richard McCullough addressed media on Monday, Sept. 14, following the dismissal of Seminoles athletic director Michael Alford, offering insight into the university's decision to make a leadership change at this point in the academic calendar.
He also touched on the looming status of Seminoles football coach Mike Norvell.
"Look, I love Mike Norvell. He is a great human being. I love what he does with our student-athletes. Our grades have never been better under his leadership. I love how he takes our student-athletes and helps them to be the best version of themselves. I love how he makes them competitive, and we love all that," McCullough said.
struggles
McCullough stopped short of making any definitive statements about Norvell's future in Tallahassee as the program continues to struggle, but did mention that all parties are "working on" winning together.
"I have to tell you, nobody wants to win more than Mike Norvell, okay?" McCullough said. "We want to win. Of course we want to win. College coaches are in the winning business. That's what we're working on. We're not really here to talk about, Coach Norvell. This is really about AD Alford."
Alford's firing comes at a time when the football program has struggled in recent seasons under Norvell, now in his seventh season in Tallahassee. Since going 13-1 in 2023 — a season that saw a 13-0 FSU team miss the College Football Playoff before losing to Georgia in the Orange Bowl — the Seminoles have posted a combined 8-18 overall record over the last three seasons under Norvell. That includes FSU's 1-1 mark this season.
The Seminoles are coming off back-to-back losing seasons under Norvell for the first time since his first two seasons at the helm of the program.
If Norvell is fired on Dec. 1, 2026, he would be owed $46.7 million for his buyout, according to the terms of his contract, which was obtained by USA TODAY Sports. It would be the third-largest payout in college football history, behind only Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M and Brian Kelly at LSU.
Norvell also addressed Alford's firing during his opening remarks at his Sept. 14 news conference, saying the team's focus remains on its nonconference matchup against No. 10 Alabama.
"With the news and today, definitely wanted to start off by thanking Michael Alford and Laura (Alford) for all the work and the time that we got to spend together these last few years. Two of the best people that I've had the opportunity to be around, to care for who they work with, to care for the student-athletes and coaches. Grateful for him and their family," Norvell said.
"Obviously, in today's age, it's a crazy world of college athletics. I definitely appreciate the relationships and the people that you get to do it with. Obviously, as we move forward (towards the) end of this week, all of our focus is going to be on this game (against Alabama)."
Florida State travels to No. 10 Alabama for a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff on Saturday, Sept. 19 at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: FSU president addresses Mike Norvell after AD firing: 'He's a great human being'
