Seven months after Florida State triggered an $18-million buyout by dismissing second-year head coach Willie Taggart, the Seminoles are facing a nightmare situation—on several levels—with Taggart's replacement, Mike Norvell.
Tashan Reed, Las Vegas Raiders beat writer for The Athletic who previously covered Florida State football, tweeted a quote from Mike Norvell on Wednesday night in response to Reed's question whether FSU had "done anything as a staff to check in with them a little bit more in what may be a challenging time for them on another level." Norvell said he "went back and forth individually with every player this weekend" after George Floyd's murder led to mass protests across the country.
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Norvell is lying, according to senior defensive tackle Marvin Wilson, who quoted Reed's tweet, saying, in part, "We got a generated text that was sent to everybody. There was no one on one talk between us and coach. This is a lie and me and my teammates as a whole are outraged and we will not be working out until further notice." This is believed to be the first FBS boycott since Minnesota players boycotted bowl practices in December 2016 in the wake of sexual assault allegations against several members of their team.
It's a safe assumption Mike Norvell has lost the Florida State locker room before coaching a game. And it's a safe assumption Mike Norvell is ignorant to race issues and has no interest in learning if he's willing to lie about speaking with his players. And, lastly, it's a safe assumption that Norvell will never regain some of his players' trust. If so, could Florida State be forced to move on?
Clearly, this is early speculation, but what if Florida State was forced to fire Norvell seven months after firing Willie Taggart? Unless they can prove his lie is a fireable offense that would not trigger a buyout, Florida State would be on the hook for another eight-figure buyout.
Norvell signed a six-year deal in December that runs through Dec. 31, 2025. He's due to make $3.75 million in base salary in 2020, $4 million in 2021, $4.25 million in 2022, $4.5 million in 2023, and $5 million in both 2024 and 2025. The buyout is 85 percent of the remaining contract. At this moment, roughly halfway through the first year, the remaining balance due is $24.625 million, meaning his current buyout is $20.9 million.
