TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Nearly 50 years after he signed with Florida State to play for Bobby Bowden, interim head coach Rick Stockstill takes over at his alma mater in turbulent times.
When Stockstill arrived at Florida State in 1977, the program was coming off four straight losing seasons. The Seminoles went 4-29 before Bowden was hired in 1976. Improvement came quickly as Bowden built a reputation of playing top-ranked programs on the road, often winning, especially in the 1981 season with Stockstill at quarterback.
Stockstill is now in the driver’s seat — even if it’s just for the final four regular-season games and perhaps a bowl if the Seminoles (3-5, 1-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) turn the season around after coach Mike Norvell was fired Sunday.
“I’ve said many times, the two most influential men in my life have been my dad and Coach (Bobby) Bowden, and it’s kind of surreal,” Stockstill said.
He’s not sitting literally in Bowden’s chair or his old office. The Seminoles have a new football building next to Doak Campbell Stadium. But the responsibility, even if it's as interim head coach, sits with Stockstill.
“I want our team, our players, to go out there and understand the responsibility that they have, what they represent and Coach Bowden, all the past players that have played here,” Stockstill said. “A lot of people have sacrificed a lot to make this program what it is.”
Stockstill, 68, was a vital, early part of teams that put Florida State on the college football map. He was the QB in 1981 as Florida State played five of the sport's biggest names — all on the road. The Seminoles lost at No. 11 Nebraska and No. 4 Pitt but defeated No. 15 Ohio State, Notre Dame and LSU in a schedule that’s unlike any in today’s football landscape.
Even though Florida State went 6-5 in Stockstill’s senior season, the Seminoles had made a name for themselves.
Now, Stockstill takes over in what has been a dreadful stretch for a program that won three national titles but went 10-22 the last three seasons under Norvell. Norvell was 1-5 against Power Four opponents this season. The school will pay him a buyout of approximately $47 million through 2031.
Stockstill played for Bowden and later was an assistant coach as he learned from Danny Ford and Tommy Bowden at Clemson, along with Lou Holtz and Steve Spurrier at South Carolina. Those jobs and experiences earned him the chance to become a head coach at Middle Tennessee, where he went 113-111 from 2006-23.
The record may not reflect it, but Stockstill enjoyed 10 bowl appearances and a 45-31 upset at Miami in 2022 when the Hurricanes were a 25 1/2-point favorite in coach Mario Cristobal’s first season.
After he was fired at Middle Tennessee, Norvell hired Stockstill as a director of scouting for Florida State’s offense. And now he’s Florida State’s coach, even if for the interim, and is determined not just to keep the seat warm for whomever McCullough and Board of Trustees chairman Peter Collins hire.
“He understands this institution,” interim athletic director Bruce Warwick said. “He has great love for this area. ... He’s got a good pulse on our team. He’s in scouting right now, which is not a true indication of his skill set. He has great relationships with guys on defense and offense. He’s just an incredible people person, and so we consulted him on a lot of different things.
"And just moving forward, he gives us the best chance for the last four games.”
That job started immediately on Sunday. McCullough and Warwick announced that defensive coordinator Tony White had been dismissed, with Ernie Sims Jr. taking over in the interim. Norvell called plays for Florida State’s offense, but now offensive coordinator Tim Harris Jr. will do that.
Florida State seeks its first road victory in three seasons when it plays at Boston College (4-4, 2-3) on Saturday. The Seminoles are far from a show car but they aren’t a clunker either, Stockstill said.
“It’s not broke, we got some dents in it we got to get fixed," Stockstill said. "But I really truly believe, and I’m not saying this because of my love for Florida State, but Florida State is close. We’re gonna get there, but it’s going to take everybody pulling the rope in the same direction.”
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