Alabama head coach Nick Saban retires. Could Mike Norvell be a candidate for Crimson Tide?
The College Football World was hit with seismic news in the coaching world Wednesday.
ESPN reported legendary Alabama head coach Nick Saban is retiring following a 17-year run, which featured six national championships with the Crimson Tide. The 72-year-old also won a title with LSU (2003), making him the winningest coach of all time.
There is probably no more prestigious job in college football than the Alabama job, with Paul "Bear" Bryant also having a successful career with the Crimson Tide, winning six national championships.
So coming off a 13-1 record, an ACC Championship and a 23-4 mark in the last two seasons at Florida State, head coach Mike Norvell is an obvious candidate for the position, as he has led FSU to a remarkable turnaround.
It did not take long for the dots to be connected, as ESPN's Pete Thamel tweeted the Seminole coach could be on the shortlist.
"With no likely internal replacements at Alabama, here’s a quick projected target list. Dan Lanning, Kalen DeBoer, Dabo Swinney, James Franklin, Mike Norvell and Marcus Freeman. All come with complications and big buyouts, as it’s difficult to move entrenched coaches," Thamel wrote on X.
With no likely internal replacements at Alabama, here’s a quick projected target list. Dan Lanning, Kalen DeBoer, Dabo Swinney, James Franklin, Mike Norvell and Marcus Freeman. All come with complications and big buyouts, as it’s difficult to move entrenched coaches. https://t.co/0K2NWk8CtL
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 10, 2024
Norvell has been a topic of discussion for other high-profile jobs. He denied rumors of interest in the Texas A&M job earlier this year after the firing of former FSU head coach Jimbo Fisher.
Norvell is from Irving, Texas, which is about a 3-hour drive to College Station.
“There’s not any real point to talking about it,” Norvell said at his press conference on Nov. 13. “It’s funny how sometimes those things get out there and people want to try and use that in recruiting. I told recruits, two years ago, everyone was talking about ‘How long is he going to be there? They better win some games or he’s not.’"
Next Alabama Head Coach Odds
According to Bookie.com, Norvell is listed behind Oregon head coach Dan Lanning and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney with the third-best odds of being the next Alabama head coach.
Coach | Odds | Implied Probability |
Dan Lanning | +300 | 25% |
Dabo Swinney | +350 | 22.2% |
Mike Norvell | +450 | 18.2% |
James Franklin | +650 | 13.3% |
Lane Kiffin | +700 | 12.5% |
Kalen DeBoer | +1500 | 6.5% |
Mike Vrabel | +2000 | 4.8% |
Deion Sanders | +5000 | 2% |
Other | +900 | 10% |
Mike Norvell buyout at FSU
In February of 2023, the Seminoles announced a three-year extension for Norvell, which bumped his pay to an average salary of $8.05 million, which nearly doubles his $4.5 million annual salary from the original contract.
If Norvell were to leave the Seminoles, his buyout would become a major topic of conversation.
In 2024, the buyout comes in at $4 million and is reduced each year thereafter.
Here's the breakdown:
2024: $4 million
2025: $3 million
2026: $2 million
2027: $2 million
2028: $1 million
2029: no buyout
FSU's contract states the buyout for Norvell would come in equal quarterly installments over the first twenty-four months following the date of termination, with the first such installment due within thirty (30) days of the termination date.
Reach Ehsan Kassim at ekassim@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Ehsan_Kassim. You can also follow our coverage on Facebook (NoleSports), Instagram (tlhnolesports) and YouTube channel (NoleSportsTD).
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Mike Norvell: Could FSU football coach replace Nick Saban at Alabama?
