Florida State fires Mike Norvell after 3-5 start — SkimNews
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Florida State fired head coach Mike Norvell after a 3-5 start to the 2026 season, ending a seven-year tenure that peaked with a 13-0 ACC championship run in 2023 but collapsed into a 10-23 record since.
- Rick Stockstill was named interim head coach, bringing his background as FSU’s director of scouting and former 18-year head coach at Middle Tennessee to stabilize the program during the transition.
- FSU president Richard McCullough announced a national search for a new head coach, citing unmet expectations and affirming confidence in Stockstill to lead during the interim period.
- Mike Norvell compiled a 41-39 record at Florida State, with five losing seasons in seven years, including a disastrous 2-10 mark in 2024 following the 2023 playoff snub despite the team’s undefeated conference season.
- Jordan Travis, the team’s star quarterback in 2023, suffered a season-ending injury that contributed to the College Football Playoff committee excluding the Seminoles, after which the program lost momentum and key leadership.
- Florida State has gone 4-17 in ACC play since 2024, with losses to Stanford, Boston College, and its first-ever defeat to Duke, and has not won a regular-season road game since November 2023.
Why it matters: Florida State’s firing of Norvell after investing heavily in roster upgrades and avoiding a $50.3 million buyout last year signals escalating urgency to reverse a systemic collapse—one that has cost the program its national standing and fan trust. The 4-17 conference record since 2024 underscores a failure to sustain success despite resources, making the next hire a make-or-break moment for the brand.
Ask SkimNews
