Florida State football coaching search 2026: Candidates, hot board, top names to watch from Seminoles experts

The Noles247 team just revealed their top FSU coaching candidates after Mike Norvell was fired on Sunday, Nov. 1

Nov 11, 2026 at 1:56 pm ET • 3 min read

The fourth Power 4 program to make a coaching move in the 2026 college football carousel is also the biggest one thus far as Florida State fired coach Mike Norvell on Sunday, Nov. 1. Norvell had a tremendous two-year stint in 2022-23, going a combined 23-4 during that span. The Seminoles fell flat in 2024, however, going 2-10, and then went 5-7 (2025) and 3-4 (2026) under Norvell since that point, leading to the move after the Week 9 loss to Clemson. The Seminoles beat Boston College 31-24 in Week 10 under interim head coach Rick Stockstill. 

FSU historically is one of the top destinations in college football, but a reported buyout of around $50 million owed to Norvell could complicate this search a bit as the Seminoles look to find their footing in the new world of college football under recently-hired AD Jeff Purinton. Who are the top names on the Florida State hot board? If you want the latest on the FSU football coaching search, see what the proven team of experts are saying at Noles 247, the 247Sports affiliate that covers Florida State.

Noles247 brings fans trusted coverage from a dedicated team of insiders. With years of experience the site delivers daily updates, recruiting scoop, team and transfer intel. Be the first to know news before it happens and engage with the experts among the most dedicated community of FSU fans. Sign up for a VIP membership now and unlock all of the insider content at Noles247.

And right now, Noles247 is offering 60% off annual subscriptions*, so now is the time to sign up. The team at Noles247 has revealed some names to watch in the coaching search, and and there are some surprising names in the mix. Head to Noles247 now to see them all.

Top Florida State football coach candidates

One name that the staff at Noles247 has identified as a potential candidate on their FSU football coach hot board is Duke head coach Manny Diaz. He's 7-2 at Duke this season and coming off back-to-back wins of 40 or more points with a big opportunity at Miami looming in Week 11. He has some deep ties to the program and the state of Florida, making him an intriguing possibility.

"The FSU alum," said Noles247 writer Kolby Crawford. "Diaz is a Miami native and a 1995 Florida State graduate. He went 18-9 through his first two seasons at Duke, led the Blue Devils to the 2025 ACC title with an overtime win over Virginia in the championship game and signed an extension through 2031 in April. He also went 21-15 as the head coach at Miami from 2019 to 2021 and spent two seasons as Penn State's defensive coordinator." See more candidates at Noles247.

How to get insider Florida State coaching search updates 

The team at Noles247 has included several other exciting possibilities, including a "proven program-builder at every level he's touched." You can only see who it is by joining Noles247.

Who are the top names in the FSU football coaching search, and which proven program builder could FSU take a big swing on? Go to Noles247 to see their FSU coaching candidates and more, all from a team of reporters with extensive experience covering the Seminoles, and find out. 

And remember, Noles247 is offering 60% off an annual VIP membership, so subscribe now before it's too late.

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