Coaching Hot Seat: Norvell & Riley's Uncertain Futures
Joe and Scott discuss potential exits for FSU's Mike Norvell and USC's Lincoln Riley due to rising pressures and underperformance throughout their tenures.
Video Transcript
But I told you here, Scotty, I've got a ticket on the first coach fired in college football this year.
And it was one- Let me guess of two guys for me.
Go ahead, go ahead.
Let me, let me guess then.
Go ahead.
One of two guy I, I gotta go with, what's-his-face at Florida State.
Like he, he's, he's on borrowed time.
Mike Norvell.
Mike, Mike Norvell, yeah.
Yes.
Is that it?
He is- That's it, wow.
Yeah, he is one of them.
Wow.
Absolutely.
Norvell is one of them.
The other one is Lincoln Riley at USC.
Ooh.
Be- Wow 'cause you are talking now, this is his fifth year at USC.
How many College Football Playoffs has USC made?
Yeah, none.
Yeah.
You weren't brought in and you were not hired, to, and getting paid to sit out the College Football Playoff there, Scotty.
So- Yeah I can't imagine.
He has gotta be on borrowed time here.
If you are another mediocre USC team, I, I how does he I You don't think USC's gonna pull a trigger on him?
He's won nothing for this organiz- nothing.
Like, not even close.
And they're in now, what, you're gonna beat Indiana?
You're gonna beat they host- Oregon Ohio State, Oregon, Washington.
They play at Indiana, at Penn State, and at Wisconsin.
A- and you know how great they are when they travel east.
Yeah, not good.
To me, I It could be borrowed time.
If Lincoln Riley doesn't figure it out with Joy- with Jayden Maiava, I, I think it's, I think it's over, Scotty.
I think that, that experiment is over.
And you know what's gonna make it even worse for him?
I know it's gonna sound a little goofy here, Joe, but their non-conference schedule is so easy- Yes that they're gonna be beating the snot out of- Yep San Jose State, Fresno State, Louisiana, then they got Rutgers, right?
So they're gonna be 4-0 winning these games by 30 points, and then their season starts.
Then they got Oregon.
Yep.
Then they got Washington, Penn State, Ohio State, all the others that you mentioned.
The And so the expectations, as high as they are anyway, are really gonna be high.
And then when they come flat and finish, you know, 6-6 or 7-5 if they're lucky, yeah, yeah, it might be.
It, you know, I, I wouldn't, yeah, wouldn't be surprised.
You know, especially college sports nowadays.
Oh, I, I mean, five years now, no co- If he doesn't make the College Football Playoff- Not even close though I think it's over.
Not even He's 19-19.
Yeah, I know.
Like, he's not even, like, you know, 9-4, 8-5- Yeah, yep or whatever, coming up a little short.
He's 19-19 at, at USC.
He, you know, offense is- Yep second to none, you know?
And that's the sad thing too.
He's had Caleb Williams.
He's had talented- Yes offenses, and he still can't win.
Yep.
What happens when he doesn't- And he still can't get it done get a talented offense?
Yeah.
Amazing.
Thank you.
I, I was going But now Norvell to me, first of all, I got an under ticket for 6.5 wins.
They're not winning seven games here.
Yeah, absolutely.
Me too.
Florida State is a absolute mess here.
Yeah.
And think about this.
That, was it 2021-22 team?
He had, I think, 10 wins in '22, 13 in 2023.
But ever since that Jordan Travis injury and he is How many games has he won?
It's terrible.
2-10- Yeah in 2024.
Even worse last year.
And the recruiting is not there.
Miami has overtaken them.
Florida's got a new coach.
And Florida's gonna be much better, this year, by the way, as well.
I- he's But they could not fire him because they owed him so much money last year.
He's got one year left on this absurd contract, where they would rather write the check and say, "See you later, Mike Norvell," than have to go through another, "What do you mean you're 1-6 to start the year?"
