FSU A.D. Michael Alford talks expectations for football program, Mike Norvell
AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. — The primary focus of the ACC spring meetings is to bring together conference athletics directors, football and basketball coaches and other administrators to discuss issues facing the league and college sports overall.
But when Florida State football is struggling the way it has for the last two years, FSU athletics director Michael Alford isn’t going to make it through many interviews without reporters asking questions about head coach Mike Norvell and his future with the Seminoles.
On Tuesday, during a break in the meetings here at Amelia Island, Alford was asked specifically how critical the 2026 season is for Florida State and Norvell.
“Well, every year’s important,” Alford said. “And going into it, we’ve given the program resources with the new facilities, financially invested in the coaching staff, invested in the front office — [to] go out and evaluate players and get the best players that Florida State can go get. And I think we’ve done a good job. [General manager] John Garrett’s doing a tremendous job of coming in and putting processes and procedures in place. I think he and Mike really work well together and have a lot of the same ideas about the type of player that needs to play at Florida State.
“So I think we’re setting ourselves up for the future with the processes and procedures to reestablish the program to what it was. It hasn’t been to where the standard should be. We know that.”
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Alford then was asked if Norvell enters this season on the “hot seat” after going 2-10 in 2024 and 5-7 in 2025.
“We have constant communication,” Alford said. “Every year, Mike and I are going to talk, we set expectations for the year, and we’re going to evaluate. I have a process, just like I do with all my coaches. We evaluate throughout the process. We sit down at the end of the year, talk about the good and the bad, where we think we should be, where the resources are. And then lay out expectations. He has high expectations for this program. So do I, and so does everybody else.
“Those expectations and resources are there. So now we’ve just got to go and perform and win some games.”
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