Is Mike Norvell leaving FSU for Alabama? Seminoles HC's recent Alabama coaching job rumors explored amid NCAA penalties

Florida State Seminoles coach Mike Norvell has been at the center of the rumors for the Alabama Crimson Tide's next head coach.

Earlier this week, Nick Saban surprisingly announced his retirement as the Crimson Tide's coach. Right away, Oregon's Dan Lanning became the front-runner to replace him, but Lanning announced he would stay.

Now, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel, the search is down to FSU's Mike Norvell and Washington's Kalen DeBoer.

Norvell has helped turn around the FSU program and only a $4 million buyout, which is affordable for Alabama to pay.

Meanwhile, according to Bookies.com, Norvell is the leader for the Alabama job with +300 odds, which implies a 20% chance of becoming the next head coach of the Crimson Tide.

In his career, Mike Norvell has been the head coach of Memphis and FSU. He took over the Seminoles job in 2020 and after two straight losing seasons, led the team to a 10-3 record in 2022 and a 13-1 record this past season.

This past season, FSU went undefeated in the regular season and won the ACC but were left out of the college football playoff which stunned Norvell.

"I am disgusted and infuriated with the committee's decision today to have what was earned on the field taken away because a small group of people decided they knew better than the results of the games," Norvell said in a statement.

"What is the point of playing games?" he added. "Do you tell players it is OK to quit if someone goes down? Do you not play a senior on Senior Day for fear of injury? Where is the motivation to schedule challenging nonconference games?"

FSU ended up playing in the Orange Bowl and was blown out by Georgia, but many key players for the Seminoles opted out.

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FSU facing sanctions from NCAA

Not only could FSU be losing their head coach but the Seminoles are also facing sanctions from the NCAA.

Florida State's offensive coordinator, Alex Atkins was found to have committed two Level II violations, which is due to impermissible recruiting. It claims that he drove a prospect and their parents to a meeting with an NIL booster, during which the prospect was offered approximately $15,000 per month during his first year at FSU if he enrolled with the school.

The NCAA announced that Atkins would be suspended for the first three games and also handed out the following punishment:

two years of probation

- scholarship reductions of 5% over the next two academic years

- a reduction by seven in official recruiting visits for 2023-24

- a prohibition on recruiting communication for six weeks over the next two academic years, including this next week (Jan. 12-18)

- a prohibition on communication with athletes in the transfer portal from April 15-21

- a reduction by 18 evaluation days this spring

- a financial penalty of 1% of the athletic department’s budget