How Mike Norvells contract and the hiring of Willie Taggart at FAU both impact Florida State

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. On the same day former Florida State coach Willie Taggart officially was introduced as coach at Florida Atlantic, the contract details for new FSU coach Mike Norvell were released, and the contracts are unavoidably interconnected.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — On the same day former Florida State coach Willie Taggart officially was introduced as coach at Florida Atlantic, the contract details for new FSU coach Mike Norvell were released, and the contracts are unavoidably interconnected.

Norvell agreed to a six-year deal that will pay him an average of about $4.4 million per year. Taggart, meanwhile, signed a five-year deal worth $750,000 annually. FSU still owes Taggart a buyout through January 2024. His five-year deal with FAU mitigates that to a degree, but not entirely.

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Taggart had four years and $20 million remaining on his deal when he was fired Nov. 3. Taggart was due 85 percent of whatever remained on his deal if he were terminated without cause. Eighty-five percent of the total remaining compensation would come out to about $17 million, or about $4.25 million annually. His FSU contract also contained a mitigation offset, which means FSU now owes him about $3.5 million per year through early 2024.

But FSU AD David Coburn said Nov. 4 that the school hadn’t agreed to buyout terms with Taggart and agent Jimmy Sexton, and a person with knowledge of the situation told The Athletic that Florida State and Taggart still haven’t agreed to terms on a buyout figure. Hypothetically, the sides could agree that the buyout would be paid in a smaller lump sum all at once.

As for Norvell, he will be paid a base salary of $215,000 every year, and his additional compensation will fluctuate. He’ll make $3.535 million in Year 1, $3.785 million in Year 2, $4.035 million in Year 3, $4.285 million in Year 4, $4.785 million in Year 5 and $4.785 million in Year 6 in addition to his base pay.

He also will receive an annual retention bonus of $250,000 on Dec. 31 of each year that he remains employed at Florida State starting in 2020. If he’s terminated without cause, he’ll be owed 85 percent of the total annual compensation remaining on his contract.

In addition, Norvell has $5.25 million to spend on 10 assistants. That doesn’t include his budget for the salaries of a director of operations, a strength and conditioning coach and a director of recruiting.

Six Taggart assistants had contracts that ended with the 2019 season; the other four were due buyouts, though one of those will be retained. It’ll cost $1.7 million to let offensive coordinator Kendal Briles go. Other assistants whose departures would come with buyouts are defensive coordinator Harlon Barnett (one year, $980,000 remaining) and offensive line coach Randy Clements (one year, $455,000 remaining). That comes out to $3.135 million, but that number could be offset depending whether Briles, Barnett and Clements find employment elsewhere.

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The program announced Friday that wide receiver coach Ron Dugans would be retained by Norvell. His contract runs through the 2020 season and pays him $450,000.

“The development of our wide receivers over the last year and the relationships that have been built gives us a tremendous foundation to build upon moving forward,” Norvell said in a statement. “Coach Dugans will be an asset on the field as well as one of the top recruiters in the country due to the relationships he has established over the years.”

Regardless, FSU is set to pay out a lot of money to multiple individuals in the coming months and years. A recent influx of financial pledges from boosters should help.

Aggie and Jeff Stoops made a commitment of $2.5 million to Seminoles Boosters and the FSUAA on Tuesday. Alan and Carol Flaumenhaft made an undisclosed commitment of their own Wednesday; Delores and Guy Spearman did the same Thursday. Those commitments aren’t liquid cash, but they potentially could help pay Taggart’s buyout, Norvell’s salary and the salaries of the new coaching staff.

More big-money donations could come, depending upon Norvell’s on-field success. He has the ability to make a splash during the early signing period, which starts Wednesday, and on National Signing Day on Feb. 5. His first spring practice at FSU will start in March, and the 2020 season begins Sept. 5 against West Virginia in Atlanta.

(Top photo: Phil Sears / Associated Press)

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