Florida State Fires Head Coach Mike Norvell and Names Rick Stockstill Interim
The Seminoles parted ways with Mike Norvell following a 3-5 start to the season, turning to former quarterback and assistant coach Rick Stockstill to lead the program temporarily.
Florida State University has dismissed head coach Mike Norvell following a disappointing 3-5 start to the season, capped by a 36-24 loss to Clemson at Doak Campbell Stadium. University President Richard McCullough announced the leadership change on Sunday, ending Norvell's seven-year tenure in Tallahassee.
University officials confirmed that Rick Stockstill, a former Seminoles quarterback and longtime college football coach, will serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the 2026 season. Stockstill, who joined Florida State's staff in January 2024 as director of scouting for offense, takes over a team sitting at 1-4 in Atlantic Coast Conference play.
McCullough expressed confidence in the interim appointment, stating in an official release that the university is confident in Stockstill's ability to provide steady leadership during the transition. The university will immediately begin a national search for a permanent head coach, though no timetable has been announced.
Norvell's departure concludes a turbulent seven-year run that featured both dramatic highs and steep declines. His tenure was highlighted by a stellar 2023 campaign in which the Seminoles finished the regular season undefeated and claimed the ACC championship, though the team was controversially excluded from the College Football Playoff.
Following that championship season, however, the program experienced a sharp downturn, collapsing to a 2-10 record in 2024 and finishing 5-7 in 2025. Norvell leaves Florida State with an overall record of 41-39, having been unable to reverse the team's downward trajectory through the first eight games of the 2026 season.
Stockstill brings deep historical ties to the program, having played quarterback under legendary head coach Bobby Bowden from 1977 to 1981 and earning induction into the Florida State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2019. His extensive coaching background includes an 18-year tenure as head coach at Middle Tennessee State, where he compiled a 113-111 record and secured ten bowl appearances.
The newly appointed interim coach inherits a squad that must win three of its remaining four games to achieve bowl eligibility. Florida State is scheduled to travel to Boston College on November 7 before facing Pittsburgh, NC State, and rival Florida to close out the regular season.
As the university commences its search for a permanent leader, Stockstill's immediate focus will be on stabilizing the locker room and attempting to salvage the remainder of the season for the Seminoles.