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Florida State Offensive Coordinator Salary, Buyout Information

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One place that's easy to pinpoint this terrible Florida State football season is the offense, which has seen one of the worst turns in college football. Could this lead to Mike Norvell firing offensive coordinator Alex Atkins?

There's no suggestion that Atkins' job is in jeopardy, but the way this season has gone, that wouldn't be the biggest shock. FSU has averaged 14.4 points per game, ranking 132nd out of 133 FBS teams (only Air Force is worse at 13.8 ppg). In 2023, when Atkins had Jordan Travis, Trey Benson, Keon Coleman and Co., the Seminoles averaged 34.6 ppg, good for 19th in the nation.

DJ Uiagalelei was expected to step in for Travis and lead the offense, but the former Clemson and Oregon State quarterback struggled in his five starts before breaking a finger on his throwing hand. Redshirt freshman Brock Glenn and true freshman Luke Kromenhoek have split time in his place. Glenn's best performance was against Clemson, where he threw for 228 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. This was his first start since Uiagalelei's injury.

FSU vs. Notre Dame: Game updates, week 11 highlights

FSU has allowed 30 sacks, ranking 127th in the FBS, which also reflects poorly on Atkins, the offensive line coach. The offensive woes extend beyond the passing game as well, as the running game has dropped to 76.1 yards per game, again 132nd out of 133 FBS teams (UCLA's 73.9 ypg is last). And if fans want to blame the Seminoles' struggles on a lack of depth, they can in turn blame Atkins, who is Norvell's primary recruiting coordinator.

After FSU's recent loss to North Carolina, in which the Seminoles scored fewer than 20 points for the eighth straight game, Chop Chat's Kelvin Hunt wrote that it was time to fire Atkins.

“With this terrible product he will get a raise next year,” Hunt wrote. “Yes, he has a few quality offensive linemen signed for 2025, but he hasn’t shown that he can develop high school players at all, so it doesn’t matter whether FSU signs them or not. It would probably take two years for them to come.” “I would ever get on the field with the offensive line coach anyway.”

Florida State signed Norvell to an eight-year extension worth over $84 million before the season, so cutting ties with the head coach is unlikely. But what about Atkins? Here's what you should know:

Who is Alex Atkins?

Alex Atkins is the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach for the Florida State football team. He is also a key recruiting coordinator for FSU football head coach Mike Norvell.

Atkins started Norvell's first season at FSU in 2020 after serving as offensive coordinator for Charlotte in 2019. These 49ers averaged 30.1 points per game, fourth in Conference USA, with the No. 31 rushing offense in the country (195.5 yards per game). Previously, he was the offensive line coach at Tulane from 2016 to 2018 and previously coached at Georgia Southern, Chattanooga, Marshall and UT-Martin.

Atkins has served as an offensive line coach since coming to FSU and was promoted to offensive coordinator prior to the 2022 season. The Seminoles' running game went from 140.7 ypg before his arrival in 2019 to 202 ypg in 2020, then 177.8 in 2021 and 214.1 in 2022 in his first season as offensive coordinator. They dropped to 150.2 YPG in 2023 but still averaged 401.6 total yards per game.

FSU scored 27.9 points per game before Atkins' arrival and remained in that stadium until 2022, when they averaged 36.1 points per game, followed by 34.6 points per game in 2023.

Why was Alex Atkins suspended? Is Alex Atkins back?

On January 11, the NCAA announced Level II sanctions against FSU. This made the Seminoles the first college football program to receive penalties for using NIL payments to attract recruits.

The NCAA imposed sanctions on FSU, Alex Atkins and an unnamed booster for improper recruiting activities and facilitating improper contact with an NIL-related booster. In the spring of 2022, “Atkins reportedly drove a prospect and his parents to a meeting with a leading member of the school's NIL collective, Rising Spear,” according to Yahoo Sports reporter Ross Dellinger. The attempt reportedly involved recruiting a Georgia transfer for $15,000 a month.

As part of the punishments, Atkins was suspended for the first three games of the 2024 regular season and given a two-year show cause notice that requires future schools that hire Atkins to explain the decision to NCAA officials. Atkins missed the Georgia Tech game in Ireland and the losses at Boston College and Memphis. He was back with the Seminoles, who had their only win so far against California.

Who calls FSU offensive plays? Is it Alex Atkins?

Alex Atkins may be the offensive coordinator, but head coach Mike Norvell is in charge of the offense on game day. Norvell has called the shots on offense since he took over at FSU, something he also did in his previous job as head coach at Memphis.

Norvell was asked after the loss to Miami in late October whether he would consider relinquishing his playing duties. “For us, and especially for me, it’s the best thing for this football team,” Norvell said, according to 247 Sports. “I will always evaluate every role. Everyone’s role and what we have and what it needs to be, obviously we haven’t been very good offensively this year.”

How much does Alex Atkins make?

Alex Atkins has the second-highest salary among Florida State assistant coaches, behind only defensive coordinator Adam Fuller. He will earn $1.25 million for the 2024 season, an increase from his 2023 salary of $1.15 million.

Atkins' contract was extended after last season and expires on February 28, 2028. His new contract begins before the 2026 season. Here's what he'll do over the next few years:

  • 2024: $1.25 million
  • 2025: $1.3 million
  • 2026: $1.4 million

Alex Atkins buyout details

Atkins' contracts previously stipulated how much Florida State would have to pay if he moved to another job. According to The Osceola, the contract extension he signed in February 2023 stipulated that if he terminated the contract before December 31, 2024, he would be entitled to 100% of his total annual compensation. If terminated, he would be entitled to 10% of his annual salary for a job in the NFL or professional football, and he would be entitled to no severance pay if he moved to a college head coaching job.

It is unclear whether these provisions have been changed as part of his current contract, which was restructured in January 2024.

Atkins was reportedly a candidate for the head coaching job at Washington after Kalen DeBoer left to replace Nick Saban at Alabama, but he apparently chose to stay at FSU. Former Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch took the Huskies job on January 14th.

Will FSU release Alex Atkins?

It seems unlikely. The fact that he lasted this long during the dismal season is a sign that Atkins isn't going anywhere. There has been no word from Norvell or the FSU athletic department that any coaching staff is on the hot seat.

Injuries have hurt the offense's chances of turning things around, starting with quarterback DJ Uiagalelei's broken finger on Sept. 28. Running back Roydell Williams has also been out since the SMU game, and backfield mate Kam Davis has also been out since suffering an injury against Herzog on Oct. 18.

After the Miami game, Atkins said he needed to improve his game planning, especially given the constant reshuffling of the offensive line and the fact that three different quarterbacks are taking meaningful snaps this season.

“We have to be able to adapt and improvise and make sure the plan we give them can be executed,” Atkins said. “If there are communication problems or mishaps, I take responsibility for putting too much emphasis on it and making sure it can be as simple as possible.”

Contributors: Peter Holland Jr. and Liam Rooney, Democrat of Tallahassee

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