Florida State’s coaching search is underway, and the list of names that could fit in Tallahassee comes with a mix of familiarity, upside and a few tricky complications.
The Seminoles reportedly moved on from Mike Norvell after a 3-5 start to 2026, a decision that came even with a buyout said to be in the $46 million to $50 million range. The larger issue was the slide that followed the program’s strong 2023 season. Florida State went 10-22 after that peak, and that stretch was enough to end Norvell’s run.
If FSU wants a candidate who already knows how to win there, Jimbo Fisher has to be part of the conversation. Fisher went 83-23 at Florida State before leaving for Texas A&M, where he eventually landed one of the biggest buyouts in coaching history after going 45-25.
He has not coached since late 2023, but he is only 61 and has already shown he can handle the job in Tallahassee. He has not been tied strongly to other openings, and if the right offer comes along, he could be ready to jump back in quickly.
Deion Sanders would have looked like a cleaner fit two years ago. He is an FSU alum, he was seen as a coach on the rise and he seemed well positioned for the NIL era.
But the last season and a half has changed the picture. Sanders is 5-14 since he no longer had the best player in college football on both offense and defense, and his health scare plus the constant roster churn have raised concerns on the NIL front.
Colorado may not be eager to keep the Sanders era going much longer, and his staff is heavily built around pro experience, which could make one of his assistants a logical next step if that path opens up.
Mark Stoops brings a different kind of appeal. He was a strong defensive coordinator at Florida State before getting his first head coaching job at Kentucky.
His 72-80 record there does not jump off the page, but he made Kentucky a bowl team eight straight times and delivered the school’s first 10-win season since 1977. After being let go by Kentucky at the end of 2025, he has been working as a special assistant at Texas.
Stoops could come at a lower price than some of the other names, and his FSU background gives him a direct link to the program’s better days. Texas would not likely feel his departure right away.
Mario Diaz also checks the Florida State box. He is an FSU alum who began his coaching career with the Seminoles, and his résumé shows he has done a lot with limited resources.
His 21-15 record at Miami was modest, but plenty of coaches have struggled there before the program’s current rebound. He is 23-11 at Duke and has strong familiarity with the ACC, along with a reputation as one of the better recruiters who could be available.
The catch is money: Duke, fresh off the Darian Mensah portal fiasco, might be willing to match Florida State financially, which is awkward for a Seminoles program starting this search in a $46 million to $50 million hole.
Kenny Dillingham rounds out the group as one of the younger, more upwardly mobile options. He coached at Florida State as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2020 and 2021, and he is 25-20 at Arizona State.
After a 2024 College Football Playoff berth, he may be getting restless with the ceiling at a program that has not fully matched his ambitions. At 36, he is younger and probably hungrier than most of the other candidates.
If Arizona State has to move on, it would likely look for someone with western ties, with offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo mentioned as a possible fit.
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