Florida State, four weeks after blowing out Virginia, 38-7, to, briefly, get its season back on track, has fired head coach Mike Norvell, effective immediately, amid a three-game losing streak that has the program on the verge of its third straight losing season.
“We thank Mike Norvell for his commitment and service to Florida State and wish him and his family the very best. We understand the deep passion of Seminole fans and share their high expectations for this program,” FSU President Richard McCullough said in a statement on Sunday, a day after a 36-24 loss to Clemson dropped the ‘Noles to a 3-5 mark in 2026.
Norvell had led Florida State to a 13-0 regular season in 2023, but the team was left out of what was then a four-team College Football Playoff, and things have gone downhill from there.
The program stumbled, big time, to a 2-10 record in 2024, then got out to a 4-0 start that included a Week 1 win over Alabama last year, getting ranked in the Top 10 nationally ahead of a game in Charlottesville with Virginia.
The ‘Hoos won that one, 46-38, in two OTs, beginning a skid that saw FSU finish with a 5-7 mark.
The Oct. 3 win over Virginia, in which the ‘Noles held the ‘Hoos to 205 yards and sacked quarterback Beau Pribula 10 times, is the only ACC win to date for the program in 2026.
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Rick Stockstill, an FSU alum who was the director of scouting on Norvell’s staff, and was 113-111 in 18 seasons as the head coach at Middle Tennessee, has been named the interim head coach.
“We are confident in Rick Stockstill’s ability to provide steady leadership during this transition,” McCullough said. “We will conduct a thorough national search for the program’s next leader, someone who embraces Florida State’s tradition of championship athletics and our standard of excellence.”
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Chris Graham
