Florida State football head coach Mike Norvell addresses rumors of Texas A&M job

Florida State football head coach Mike Norvell’s name has been bandied about as a candidate for the freshly open Texas A&M football position.

The Aggies fired former FSU head coach Jimbo Fisher on Sunday, following an uneven stint at College Station after he left the Seminoles following the 2017 season. Texas A&M is reportedly set to pay a $77 million payout for Fisher.

Norvell has led the Seminoles to back-to-back 10-win seasons following two losing seasons to begin his FSU career in the COVID-19 pandemic 2020 season. As a result, he was named as a potential target of TAMU administrators for the position by multiple major outlets, including USA TODAY.

Other candidates for the position that have been floated are: Duke head coach Mike Elko (he was the A&M defensive coordinator from 2018-21), Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, Washington head coach Kalen Deboer and Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell.

During his weekly press conference on Monday, Norvell was asked about his name being mentioned.

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 Monday press conference. “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.’

“I told them then, ‘Watch, in two years everyone is going to be using the other thing.’

“But I can’t control any of that. Obviously, we’re so excited about what we’re building and where we are going. The opportunity that’s ahead, this is why this is a special place. I think that speaks for itself.

“I am grateful for the opportunity, but I can’t control those things.”

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Mike Norvell buyout at FSU
In February 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.