How Much Money Does Florida State Owe Alex Atkins, Adam Fuller, And Ron Dugans?

The Seminoles will stay have to pay a fair amount of money to the three fired coaches.

FSU wide receivers coach Ron Dugans at the FSU National Signing Day Party on Feb. 5, 2020. Img 4502 / Wayne McGahee III/Democrat, Tallahassee Democrat via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Florida State took its first step towards overhauling Mike Norvell's staff this offseason by dismissing Alex Atkins, Adam Fuller, and Ron Dugans on Sunday. The choice wasn't an easy one but it became necessary with losses piling up and the product on the field getting worse, instead of better, by the week.

"I appreciate the work these three men have provided over the last five years with me at Florida State," Norvell said in a release. "They are all great men with families who also have poured into our program. We had many great moments together here, and I have never doubted their passion for our players and for Florida State. Unfortunately, we have not upheld the Florida State standard with our results on the field this season. I did not make any of these decisions lightly, but I felt changes needed to be made to elevate our program back to where we all desire it to be."

READ MORE: Florida State Announces Firing Of Three Assistant Coaches

These are likely just the first announced changes in what projects to be major retooling in Tallahassee over the next few months. Even though the Seminoles are moving on from a few coaches, they will still owe a sizable amount of money to the fired parties, per the terms of their contracts.

As it stands, FSU is set to pay Fuller, Atkins, and Dugans over $8.5 million not to coach for the program. This will be important to keep in mind as the program goes about replacing the trio. The money won't be paid out in full immediately, instead, there will be bi-weekly or monthly payments through the end of the respective deals.

Extensions following Florida State's ACC Championship victory and College Football Playoff snub have quickly proven costly. Fuller was made one of the highest-paid defensive coordinators in the country, getting a $700K annual raise from $1.1 million to $1.8 million with the deal lasting through 2026. With the unit ranking near the bottom of the FBS in most metrics, the Seminoles will now have to dish out roughly $4.625 million to move on from Fuller and that's not counting the cost of his eventual replacement.

Atkins had his contract bumped up this past offseason as well, getting a slight extension from $1.15 million to $1.25 million. He was owed $1.3 million in 2025 and $1.4 million in 2026 with his contract expiring in February 2027. Though Atkins isn't Florida State's primary play-caller, the offensive line has surrendered 24 sacks in the last four games and 38 overall, which ranks second to last in the FBS. The running game hasn't been able to get going all year, in large part because the offensive line has started nine different combinations in ten games. The Seminoles will be required to pay Atkins nearly $3.1 million.

It will be interesting to see if the outcome of the NCAA Investigation involving Atkins and Florida State will have any impact on his payout. In January, Atkins was punished by the governing body of the sport with a three-game suspension and a two-year show-cause. There might be a legal loophole in the contract if the Seminoles deem that as an avenue worth exploring.

Norvell kept Dugans on staff when he arrived at Florida State which has proven to be a costly choice. The Seminoles have consistently had a poor drop rate while struggling to recruit elite talent. That has come to a head in 2024 with the number of balls that have hit the ground. Plus, three blue-chip wide receivers have decommited from the program since September, making the grounds for moving on from Dugans pretty obvious. He had his contract extended for a year in December, also earning a $50K raise this season, jumping from $550K to $600K. He was slated to make $650K in 2026. FSU will still have to pay Dugans over $800K.

If any of the three coaches are hired by another program, FSU is entitled to an offset based on the contract. Any school that wants to bring in Atkins would have to explain its decision to the NCAA.

Florida State went 23-4 over the last two seasons with Fuller, Atkins, and Dugans on staff. One year, later the Seminoles are 1-9 and having their worst campaign in the modern era of the program, including a 50-year worst six-game losing streak.

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