Overview
- Florida State President Richard McCullough informed Mike Norvell on Sunday that the school had relieved him of his duties and immediately installed longtime assistant Rick Stockstill as interim head coach.
- Multiple outlets report Norvell is owed roughly $47.1 million to $50.3 million under his contract, which pays 85% of remaining base salary and includes offset and mitigation language that can reduce the payout if he is hired elsewhere.
- The program also dismissed at least two assistants, with reports naming defensive coordinator Tony White and safeties coach Evan Cooper among those let go.
- The firing follows a sharp drop in results after a 13-1 2023 season, with Florida State going 10-22 since 2024 and the team starting 3-5 in 2026, a slide that intensified after Saturday’s 36-24 home loss to Clemson and visible fan protests over the weekend.
- The school says it will conduct a thorough national search for a permanent coach, a process that will have to weigh the large buyout cost, recent athletic-department turnover and the program’s competitiveness in NIL and the transfer portal.