It is not how anyone wanted to see the situation transpire after the 2023 season, but coach Mike Norvell is no longer going to be leading the Seminoles football program. Norvell offered plenty of promise early on in his tenure in Tallahassee, but two losing seasons in a row with the potential of a third coming in 2026 was too much for Florida State to ignore.
Sometimes, the time is right, and while Norvell may not have been dealt the best hand by the administration financially, the coach dug himself into a hole with the fanbase that ultimately factored into the decision. Wins and losses mean a lot, but Florida State couldn't afford to have fans publicly push for the firing of Norvell any longer.
The Seminoles obviously cannot go the rest of the season without a head coach, which is where Rick Stockstill comes into play. Florida State quickly announced after the firing of Norvell that Stockstill would be taking over as the interim coach for the remainder of the season. With so much riding on the next coaching hire, Stockstill is almost certainly not a target in the upcoming search, but that doesn't mean giving him the temporary job was a bad idea.
Florida State made the right decision with Rick Stockstill after Mike Norvell's firing
It may not be the prettiest situation to be in, but Florida State did the right thing by giving the interim tag to Stockstill. The veteran coach has seen and lived through nearly everything college football has to throw at someone, and his track record is solid considering the circumstances.
Stockstill oversaw 18 years of growth, a conference change, and 10 bowl appearances with Middle Tennessee. The Blue Raiders are not necessarily a serious force in Conference USA, but Stockstill was able to guide the program through a difficult period where the team was struggling. Stockstill finished his tenure with Middle Tennessee with a record of 113-111, including an 82-58 mark in conference play.
You could argue that the emergence of the transfer portal and NIL is what ultimately led to Stockstill failing to meet expectations, but that would not necessarily be true. Stockstill had a net transfer rating of +6 in his final four years with the program, meaning the coach brought in more players than he lost through the portal. Since Stockstill was fired, the Blue Raiders have a rating of -26.
There are plenty of factors that have changed since Stockstill was fired that have impacted transfer portal recruiting, particularly the amount of money being spent. However, Stockstill was able to keep his roster intact, for the most part, even when the team was not performing at a high level. Players respect the coach, and that is going to be key for Florida State moving forward.
Without the pains of having to prepare the program financially for the offseason or begin thinking about who must be retained, Stockstill has a chance to just get out on the field and coach. It is a dream job for the majority of coaches, to say the least, and it is arguably what Florida State needs at the moment.
Norvell had been coaching with this massive cloud over his head that frankly was not going to go away anytime soon. Firing someone does not necessarily put out the fire, but now Stockstill can do something Norvell hasn't done all season, and that is focus solely on finding a way to improve the product on the field rapidly.
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