EXHIBIT 10.21

November 14, 2005

Mike Love
4310 NW 97th Avenue
Sunrise, FL   33351

Dear Mike:

National Coal Corp., a Florida  corporation,  and National Coal  Corporation,  a
Tennessee  corporation,  (collectively  the  "Company")  is pleased to offer you
employment on the following terms:

1.   Position.  You will serve in a full-time capacity as Senior Vice President,
     Chief Financial Officer of the Company. Additionally, you will be appointed
     as a member of the Company's  Board of Directors to fill the vacancy caused
     by Mark Oldham's  resignation  from the Board. You will report to the Chief
     Executive Officer of the Company, subject to the following: Any decision to
     terminate  your  employment  with the Company must be made by a majority of
     the  directors  then  serving  on  the  Audit  Committee  of the  Board  of
     Directors;  and your duties and  responsibilities  to the Company  shall be
     established  by, and may only be changed  by, a majority  of the  directors
     then serving on the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors, which duties
     and  responsibilities  shall  be  those  which  are  typical  of the  chief
     financial  officer of a public  reporting  company of the  Company's  size,
     including  the   establishment  of  appropriate   financial   controls  and
     procedures,  obtaining  an  annual  third  party  audit of or report on the
     Company's  coal  reserves  in  accordance  with  industry  standards,   and
     otherwise shall be established  and/or changed only after consultation with
     you. By signing this letter  agreement,  you  represent  and warrant to the
     Company you are under no  contractual  commitments  inconsistent  with your
     obligations to the Company.

2.   Salary.  You will be paid a salary at the annual rate of $275,000,  payable
     in accordance with the Company's  standard  payroll  practices for salaried
     employees. Your pay will be subject to adjustment pursuant to the Company's
     employee compensation policies in effect from time to time.

3.   Stock  Options.  Subject to the  approval of the Board or the  Compensation
     Committee,  you will be granted an option to purchase 100,000 shares of the
     Company's  Common Stock.  The exercise price per share will be equal to the
     fair  market  value per share on the date the  option is granted or on your
     first day of employment,  whichever is later. The option will be subject to
     the terms and conditions  applicable to options granted under the Company's
     2004 Option Plan, as described in the Plan and the applicable  stock option
     agreement.  You will vest in 25% of the option shares on each of January 1,
     2006, January 1, 2006, January 1, 2008 and January 1, 2009, as described in
     the applicable stock option  agreement.  Additionally,  the option you will
     accelerate  and vest in their  entirety  upon a Change of  Control  or upon
     termination of your employment  without  "cause." "Change of Control" shall
     be  defined  in  the  2004  Option  Plan  plus  the  following   additional
     circumstances: (i) the acquisition by a single entity or person, other


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     than an existing  stockholder of the Company that holds at least 40% of the
     Company's  voting  securities  on the date  hereof,  of at least 40% of the
     Company's voting securities, or (ii) greater than 50% turnover of the Board
     in situations  where the new Board members weren't approved or nominated by
     the previous Board members.

4.   Period of Employment.  Your  employment with the Company will be "at will,"
     meaning that either you or the Company  will be entitled to terminate  your
     employment at any time and for any reason,  with or without cause  (subject
     to Section 5 hereof). Any contrary representations which may have been made
     to you  are  superseded  by  this  offer.  This is the  full  and  complete
     agreement  between  you and the  Company  on this term.  Although  your job
     duties, title,  compensation and benefits may change from time to time (but
     in each  case only with your  written  consent),  as well as the  Company's
     personnel  policies and procedures which also may change from time to time,
     the "at will" nature of your  employment  may only be changed in an express
     written  agreement  signed  by you  and a duly  authorized  officer  of the
     Company.

5.   Severance  Pay. You will be entitled to one year's  severance  pay upon the
     occurrence of any of the following:  (a)  termination of your employment by
     the  Company  without  "cause" at any time prior to January 1, 2009;  (b) a
     Change of Control (as defined above) within one year of your  acceptance of
     employment with the Company;  and (c) termination of your employment by you
     with "good reason" at any time prior to January 1, 2009.  What  constitutes
     termination  for  "cause"  and  "good  reason"  shall  be  defined  in your
     definitive  employment  agreement;  provided  that the  definition of "good
     reason"  shall  include a demotion,  a change in your direct  report or the
     relocation of your  principal  office to a location more than 45 miles from
     the city of Knoxville, Tennessee. Payment to you of any Severance Pay shall
     be  conditional  upon  your and the  Company's  delivery  of a full  mutual
     release of claims,  known and unknown,  that one may have against the other
     in form  reasonably  acceptable  to the Company (and to be attached to your
     full employment agreement).

6.   Other Benefits. You will be entitled to the following benefits:

     o    Insurance benefits provided to all corporate employees

     o    Company Vehicle

     o    Cellular phone

     o    Signing bonus of $10,000

     o    Relocation  stipend  in an amount  to be  agreed  for you to move your
          family from Sunrise,  Florida to Knoxville,  Tennessee  (which stipend
          shall not include real estate commissions  related to the sale of your
          home)

     o    A travel  stipend in an amount to be agreed for you to travel  between
          Sunrise, Florida and Knoxville,  Tennessee for your travel between the
          present and June 30, 2005

     o    The company will maintain directors and officers  liability  insurance
          with coverage of no less than $10 million at all times that you remain
          an officer and director of the Company.


<PAGE>


7.   Finance Staff. In your position as Chief Financial  Officer,  you will have
     the right to select  individuals that comprise your finance staff,  subject
     to budgets and other  parameters  established by the Audit Committee of the
     Board.  Subject to  approval  by the Audit  Committee  of the Board,  which
     approval shall not be unreasonably  withheld you are authorized to make the
     hire of the Controller position.

8.   Outside Activities.  While you render services to the Company, you will not
     engage in any other gainful  employment,  business or activity  without the
     written  consent of the Company.  While you render services to the Company,
     you also will not assist any person or  organization  in competing with the
     Company,  in  preparing  to  compete  with the  Company  or in  hiring  any
     employees of the Company.

9.   Withholding Taxes. All forms of compensation referred to in this letter are
     subject to reduction to reflect applicable withholding and payroll taxes.

10.  Entire  Agreement;  Definitive  Agreement.  This letter contains all of the
     terms  of your  employment  with  the  Company  and  supersedes  any  prior
     understandings  or  agreement,  whether  oral or  written,  between you and
     Company.  The  Company  shall  work with you in good  faith to enter into a
     long-form employment agreement with you on the terms set forth herein.

11.  Amendment  and Governing  Law. This letter  agreement may not be amended or
     modified  except by an express written  agreement  signed by you and a duly
     authorized  officer of the Company.  The terms of this letter agreement and
     resolution of any disputes will be governed by Tennessee Law.

     We hope that you find the foregoing terms acceptable. You may indicate your
agreement  with these terms and accept this offer by signing and dating both the
enclosed  duplicate  original of this letter and returning it to me. This offer,
if not  accepted,  will expire at the close of business on Monday,  November 14,
2005.

     We look forward to having you join us on November 14, 2005.

     Very truly yours,

     National Coal Corp.

     /s/ Jon E. Nix
     ---------------------------------------
         Jon E. Nix, Chief Executive Officer