Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops has a couple of major things in common with Florida State Mike Norvell. The first is an enormous University buyout; both are listed as some of the highest buyouts of all the college head coaches. Norvell had an estimated $64 million to be paid to him if Florida State were to fire him, while Stoops is around $44 million. The other trait in common is that they both had terrible seasons in 2024.
Norvell truly can argue that he had one bad year, granted it was really bad, with a 2-10 record and 1-7 in the ACC. Stoops can match the conference standings with his own 1-7 in the SEC. Stoops did better in the non-conference (though arguably played way easier teams) and ended the year with a 4-8 record.
Mike Norvell just did something that happened to Mike Gundy last week: he accepted a restructured contract. Norvell is giving back some of his overall salary package in a goodwill exchange and buying back some of the support he lost with fans.
NEWS: Mike Norvell is giving $4.5M of his salary this year to Florida State in a reconstructed contract, @RossDellenger reports. https://t.co/qJP6zpfRPx pic.twitter.com/KT0yduI5AP
— On3 (@On3sports) December 16, 2024
Unlike Gundy, it doesn't seem to have been a battle with the University, though there was probably clearly pressure in those discussions. Florida State couldn't afford to fire him but also needed to make sure this trend of being terrible didn't continue. Now fans are calling for Kentucky's Mark Stoops to do the same.
Time to pony up boss man @UKCoachStoops https://t.co/p6LCguDX1T
— Kentucky Stan (@kentuckycatz) December 16, 2024
Mark you want to win some fans back and let them know you are serious, do something like this. https://t.co/qHSg2q3Y6V
— JV (@_VinceCali) December 16, 2024
There are tons of these comments on both of the national posts of Norvell's restructure. That Stoops should do the same. It's the second post above that received a bit of a pause. Would it win some fans back if he did the same thing? Or are Kentucky fans so done with Stoops that they are ready to move on regardless of the cost? If he was giving back some of his $9 million a year, would that help? Norvell was being paid around $10 million, and supposedly, he gave back $4.5 million for next year. That would still make him a highly paid coach, but nowhere near the top 10. If Stoops also gave back, let's say, $4 million, that would create a little bit of a "we know you are serious" moment for Big Blue Nation.