During the most competitive recruiting season, CFB coaches are making every effort to secure their best high school talents. As the playoffs draw near, the recruiting frenzy doesn’t go away—in fact, it’s getting more intense. However, FSU head coach Mike Norvell doesn’t seem to have the magic touch to keep FSU afloat. Under Norvell’s direction, the squad has a 1–9 record this season. In an effort to improve its current dire circumstances, the program has also fired its three coaches. But the Seminoles’ desperate attempts to fix their mess have only made things worse. Now, with their prized possession speaking out, who knows what other surprises are in store?

According to the current situation, FSU has 13 commits in total, while Solomon Thomas is the sole 5-star recruit. However, his ongoing stay at FSU is now seriously threatened by coach Atkins’ dismissal. Less than twelve hours after Atkins was fired, Thomas expressed his disappointment and posted on X on November 12th, saying, “Ngl yall messed up firing my coach @CoachAAtkins🤞🏾@FSUFootball“. But it doesn’t end here. Along with that, he added another post, saying, “With that being said, it’s a business at the end of the day, if you not talking business I don’t wanna talk #GoNoles 🍢” Looks like the elite athlete is dissatisfied with FSU’s choice. Could a decommitment be on the horizon?

Last year, on December 22, Atkins was able to persuade Thomas to end his recruiting for the summer and secure a verbal commitment from him. Alex Atkins is the offensive line coach and had a key role in luring Raines’ 5-star offensive tackle Solomon Thomas. This is why FSU’s decision to fire the coach is causing them trouble now.

Safe to say, at the moment, Thomas is more than just a feather in Mike Norvell’s FSU cap. The Nole’s 2025 class is built around the No. 2 player in the USA TODAY Florida Top 100, and his departure would be disastrous for the remaining members of the senior class.

Not only this, FSU’s problems worsened as the program fired two other coaches along with Atkins. They now owe these three coaches a substantial sum of money. This personnel shake appears to have cost FSU a lot of money.

What’s the price tag for Mike Norvell’s coaching staff overhaul at FSU?

To improve the team’s current position, FSU management removed defensive coach Adam Fuller and wide receivers coach Ron Dugans, along with Atkins. As a result of this termination, FSU is now in hot water since it needs to pay its coaches a significant amount. Fuller and Atkins both committed to two-year extensions until the 2026 season. Fuller will thus get a $4 million buyout in addition to $2 million for the next two seasons. And Atkins will now receive the $2.7 million that was scheduled to be paid over the following two years. Due to his contract expiring in a year, Dugans will be paid a $625,000 buyout.

FSU will pay these three coaches a total of almost $7.325 million in retaining fees for the next two seasons. The remainder of this year’s deal, which finishes in Feb, will also bring them just over $1 million. The full amount, which will be paid out in increments throughout the remaining contract duration, is anticipated to be approximately $8.5 million, according to Steve Berkowitz. Not only is this costing them money, but it could also scare away potential recruits. With the season winding down and the financial implications, is firing coaches the best way forward for the team?