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Florida State dismiss Norvell and put Stockstill in temporary charge

Florida State ended Mike Norvell’s seven-season spell as head football coach after a start of three wins and five losses. Rick Stockstill takes interim charge while the university searches nationally for a successor. Norvell leaves with 41 victories and 39 defeats, having led the team to a conference championship in 2023.

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View past an empty sideline coaching chair toward the field and vacant stands at Florida State’s American football stadium.

Norvell’s departure takes immediate effect

Florida State University, a US college with a major American football programme, dismissed head coach Mike Norvell after a start of three wins and five losses this season. University president Richard McCullough informed him of the decision on Sunday. Rick Stockstill was appointed interim head coach while a national search for a permanent replacement began.[1], [2]

The leadership change took immediate effect. McCullough said he shared supporters’ high expectations for the programme and expressed confidence that Stockstill could provide steady leadership through the transition.[1]

A championship season precedes two bowl absences

Norvell leaves after seven seasons with 41 wins and 39 losses. Florida State won the Atlantic Coast Conference championship in 2023 with 13 victories and no defeat. A 19-game winning streak stretched across the 2022 and 2023 seasons; the university ranks it third in conference history. The team missed the postseason bowl games in each of the following two seasons.[1]

Stockstill returns to lead his former team

Stockstill is in his third season on Florida State’s staff, following 18 years as head coach at Middle Tennessee State and 23 years as a Division I assistant. He played quarterback for Florida State from 1977 to 1981 and helped the team finish 10-2 in 1980. The university inducted him into its athletics hall of fame in 2019. His first game in temporary charge is the scheduled visit to Boston College on Saturday.[1]

References

  1. News sourceFlorida State UniversityFlorida State dismiss Mike Norvell↩1↩2↩3↩4
  2. News sourceGridiron MagazineFlorida State dismiss Mike Norvell↩

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