FSU Pays $50 Million to Fire Mike Norvell, Sets Stage for Next Hire

Florida State just axed head coach Mike Norvell. The move came after a 3-5 record. That number alone should have triggered a firing long ago. Yet the real shocker isn't the dismissal. It’s the price tag. Reports peg the buyout at roughly $50 million. FSU paid that sum to send their embattled leader packing.

One of college football's premier jobs suddenly sits vacant. The Seminoles will hunt for a replacement in the coming months. Expect them to chase big-name head coaches. History suggests that’s a risky bet. Programs often think they need a splashy hire. The best candidates usually hide in plain sight.

Look at Kentucky. They dumped Mark Stoops after 13 years in Lexington. Instead of hiring a seasoned veteran, they handed the reins to Will Stein. Stein served as Oregon’s offensive coordinator. The results speak for themselves. The Wildcats lead the SEC with eight games played.

So who is the next hot-shot coordinator ready to take a job like Florida State? Who will become the greatest thing since sliced bread? Brooks Austin has a few names on his list. Austin is a college football analyst who watches hours of tape weekly. He identifies the best units across the country. When asked about the next big name in the coordinator ranks, he offered more than one option.

"I've always studied Buster Faulkner at Florida and loved what he's done," Austin says. "I loved what he did at at Georgia Tech."

Faulkner was one of the hottest coordinator names heading into October. Then came the months of spooks and scares. Those incidents took a toll on the Gators' OC and his reputation among elite playcallers. Austin admits this shift.

"I think Buster... he's kind of gotten tipped off lately in, in this league. People are kind of figuring out what it is he's doing."

Another name flies under the radar. It needs more attention. Utah offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven fits that bill.

"I watched what Utah does, and I'm like, 'This is fun, man,'" Austin says with a smile.

Kevin McGiven is having a blast in Salt Lake City. His first year with the Utes has produced a unit scoring nearly 39 points per game, driven by an innovative two-quarterback system. McGiven describes the process as "fun, that you're getting to a different play in a different way every single time you do it."

Austin, however, sees a potential pitfall. He admits he loves what Utah is doing, but warns that patience is a scarce commodity in the SEC. If a "big boy league" program hires McGiven and things stumble in the first six weeks, the impatience of SEC fans could tear the scheme apart.

"If an SEC school hired Kevin McGiven, and it didn't work out in like the first six weeks, are they gonna sit there and go, 'why did we hire this high school offense,'" Austin asks.

The risk is real. If a blue blood program brings in that style of play and it fails, the criticism will be swift. "People are gonna be like, 'well, duh, he runs a high school offense?'" Austin notes.

Beyond the offensive gurus, Austin has his eyes on a few defensive coordinators who are making waves. Glenn Schumann at Georgia stands out. Austin calls him "really, really smart" and "such a great teacher of concepts," noting that Schumann is still very young.

Then there is Bryant Haines at Indiana. A young, innovative mind, Austin labels Haines "a lunatic." In the world of defensive coordination, that is high praise.

Perhaps the most intriguing name on Austin's list is Luke Olson, the defensive coordinator at Louisiana Tech. Olson flies under the radar despite his current employer. He is only 33 or 34 years old, yet he commands immense respect. Opposing offenses know they are in for a fight when they face him.

"When (offenses) go to face this guy, they're like, 'We got a tough one this week,'" Austin explains. "Luke Olson's a dude."

The college game is packed with brilliant football minds right now. Florida State might head in a different direction, but looking at these names is a smart move. If the Seminoles want a "dude" at head coach, they know exactly where to look.