The pressure surrounding Florida State head coach Mike Norvell isn’t going away anytime soon. CBS Sports released its annual 2026 College Football Hot Seat Rankings this week, and Norvell received the publication’s highest possible hot seat rating, a 5.0, placing Norvell among the coaches facing the most pressure to produce results this upcoming season.
The ranking comes after back-to-back disappointing seasons in Tallahassee. Following an undefeated regular season and ACC championship in 2023, Florida State has gone just 7-17 over the past two years, missing a bowl game in consecutive seasons. While Norvell’s lengthy contract and sizable buyout helped secure his return, expectations remain high for a program that expects to compete for conference championships and College Football Playoff appearances annually.
Norvell was not alone at the top of the rankings. Baylor Bears coach Dave Aranda and Wisconsin Badgers coach Luke Fickell also received unanimous 5.0 averages from the 10 members of CBS Sports’ voting panel. Maryland’s Mike Locksley followed closely with a 4.9 rating, while South Carolina’s Shane Beamer received a 4.3 and North Carolina’s Bill Belichick landed at 4.1.
The outlook mirrors other national evaluations released earlier this offseason. ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg recently placed Norvell alone in his “The hottest of hot” coaching tier, writing that the Seminoles likely need to win at least eight games in 2026 for Norvell to solidify his future beyond the season.
Fortunately for Florida State, Norvell will have every opportunity to change the narrative on the field. The Seminoles enter the season with one of the ACC’s most talented rosters but also one of its toughest schedules, highlighted by a marquee road trip to Alabama and conference matchups against several projected contenders.
A strong start could quickly cool the speculation surrounding the program, while another disappointing campaign would likely intensify questions about the direction of Florida State football.
With expectations once again running high in Tallahassee, few storylines in college football will be watched more closely than whether Norvell can engineer the turnaround needed to keep his tenure at Florida State alive.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Florida State’s Mike Norvell lands atop the latest hot seat rankings
Reporting by Brandon Foster, FSU Wire / FSU Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Brandon Foster, FSU Wire | USA TODAY Network
