FSU parts ways with Mike Norvell after seven seasons, naming Hall of Famer Rick Stockstill as interim head coach
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Florida State fires Mike Norvell, launches search for new head football coach amid season
For the first time in seven years, Florida State is searching for a new head football coach.
President Richard McCullough said the decision to fire Mike Norvell wasn’t made overnight but Saturday’s performance was a defining moment. Now, with just four games left in the season, the Seminoles are looking to turn the page.
After seven seasons, an ACC championship, and a 41-39 record, the Mike Norvell era at Florida State has come to an end.
On Sunday, McCullough said the decision came down to one thing the direction of the program.
“As you know, today we let Coach Norvell go as a head football coach,” McCullough said.
“Trying to get it right and that demands excellence on the field and a trajectory going in the right direction. I’m just not, I just did not see that trajectory and yesterday was a bit of a defining moment for me going forward,” McCullough said.
Norvell wasn’t the only one let go. Defensive coordinator Tony White and safeties coach Evan Cooper were also relieved of their duties.
Former Seminoles quarterback and FSU Hall of Famer Rick Stockstill will take over as interim head coach.
The search for a permanent replacement is already underway and university leaders say time is running out with National Signing Day and the transfer portal approaching.
“Just obviously a sense of urgency is paramount, you know, because high school recruiting, the, you know, all you guys understand the timeline of the visits in June and during the season, so the commitments we have, just keeping in touch with those recruits tonight and through the next couple weeks through this process is paramount as we approach National Signing Day,” FSU interim athletic director Bruce Warwick said.
FSU is now conducting two major searches at once one for a new head coach and another for a permanent athletic director.
While the university faces major financial questions surrounding the coaching change, McCullough said the cost of staying the course was too high.
“How can we afford not to do this? I mean, I think the time has come. We have to do this. We owe it to so many of our constituencies. You know, we need to put a highly competitive team on the field, and we have to do whatever it takes to get to that place,” McCullough said.
Despite the change, university leaders say Norvell left his players with one final message don’t let up. Warwick said the team gave their former head coach an ovation as he walked out of their meeting.
Now the Seminoles will look to finish their final four games under Stockstill, beginning Saturday at Boston College.
The university has not given a timeline for when a new head coach will be named. But with National Signing Day just over a month away, FSU leaders say finding the right person is a top priority.
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