Florida State announced Sunday that it had fired head football coach Mike Norvell, following a 36-24 loss to Clemson and a 3-5 start to the 2026 season. The Seminoles had won once in Atlantic Coast Conference play, according to the report.
University President Richard McCullough said the school had decided to change the football program’s leadership. In a statement quoted by the source, McCullough thanked Norvell for his service and said the university shared fans’ high expectations. The school named Rick Stockstill interim head coach.
The decision came after Florida State’s Saturday night home loss to Clemson at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. The source described thousands of empty seats and said the defeat intensified frustration among fans and financial supporters. It also reported that McCullough met with athletic department administrators and donors during the preceding 12 hours before the decision was made.
Norvell’s departure follows several difficult seasons. Florida State went 2-10 in 2024 and 5-7 in 2025, according to the account. The team had been a College Football Playoff contender three years earlier, before quarterback Jordan Travis suffered a season-ending injury during an undefeated regular season. The source says the Seminoles finished that regular season 12-0 but were left out of the postseason.
Norvell had received a contract extension that, according to the report, carries a $50.3 million buyout. The account says boosters offered financial backing for the decision to dismiss him. It also states that Florida State may face additional costs to hire a new coach and staff, but does not provide a confirmed figure for those expenses.
The coaching change follows another leadership departure in the athletic department. Florida State announced in September that athletic director Michael Alford was being fired. The source describes the timing as a challenge for university officials, who had hoped Norvell’s results this season would build support for his return in 2027.
The report says the team’s narrow overtime game against Miami two weeks earlier may have delayed the move. It also notes that Norvell hosted recruits on Sunday, the day the school announced his departure. The article presents the Clemson defeat and the response from supporters as the immediate context for the decision.
Florida State now faces the task of appointing a permanent coach. The source says boosters committed support toward funding the change and competing for players through the transfer portal. It offers no named candidates or timetable for a permanent hire.
