After weeks of rumors, Florida State has made its decision.
The Seminoles have fired Mike Norvell after a 36-24 defeat to Clemson, ending his time in Tallahassee. His tenure included a 13-1 season in 2023, when Florida State appeared poised for a College Football Playoff spot. The team was ultimately left out after starting quarterback Jordan Travis suffered a season-ending injury.
Florida State has since endured two losing seasons, and Norvell’s departure had begun to look increasingly likely.
Here are nine possible replacements, ranked by how realistic they seem.
9. Deion Sanders — Head coach, Colorado
The appeal is easy to see. Sanders returning to his old campus to lead the Seminoles would feel almost like a movie plot. He was a standout in several sports at Florida State, though football was where he made his biggest mark. He also played baseball and ran track: in May 1987, Sanders played in two conference tournament baseball games and ran a leg of the 4×100 relay on the same day.
His coaching profile has lost some shine, though. Colorado went 9-4 in 2024, with Sanders coaching Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter Jr., but fell to 3-9 in 2025 and is on track for another losing season in 2026.
It would be a compelling story. Still, it seems like a long shot.
8. Jimbo Fisher — Former head coach, Florida State and Texas A&M
Another possible return to Tallahassee, though this one also feels unlikely.
Fisher has openly said he wants to coach again, and he won a national championship during his previous run at Florida State. The Seminoles also had five straight seasons with at least ten wins and claimed three conference titles under him.
His departure from Florida State may have left some hard feelings, however, and his later results at Texas A&M could count against him.
7. Zach Kittley — Head coach, Florida Atlantic
Florida State could look for a younger, rising coach without leaving the state and consider Florida Atlantic’s Zach Kittley.
Kittley took over the Owls in 2025, so he has not yet completed his second season as a head coach. After a 4-8 debut, though, FAU is trending toward a winning record and a bowl appearance in 2026. His offensive background and reputation as a quarterback developer are also appealing. At Houston Baptist and later Western Kentucky, he coached Bailey Zappe and helped him set several NCAA records.
It would be a major jump, but perhaps the kind of bold move Florida State needs as it looks for an offensive identity.
6. Kenny Dillingham — Head coach, Arizona State
Dillingham is in a strong position at Arizona State, and his connection to Norvell could make him less inclined to take the Florida State job.
He did spend time at FSU under Norvell, however, so he knows the program and what the job demands. His experience at Auburn and Oregon is another point in his favor, as is Arizona State’s run to the College Football Playoff in 2024.
5. Rhett Lashlee — Head coach, SMU
Lashlee has built a successful program at SMU, with strong backing from the school’s trustees and plenty of resources available.
Would he leave that to take on a more unsettled situation in Tallahassee?
SMU is 44-17 under Lashlee, including a 30-6 record in conference play, and the Mustangs have reached a bowl game every season of his tenure. At 6-1 this year, they look set for another bowl appearance and could even make a second Playoff run under his leadership. He has a good situation at a strong ACC program, which may make Florida State a difficult sell.
From the Seminoles’ perspective, though, taking a successful coach from a conference rival would make plenty of sense.
4. Glenn Schumann — Defensive coordinator, Georgia
Florida State has generally leaned toward coaches with offensive backgrounds. The program’s last head coach with a purely defensive résumé was Larry Jones, a former South Carolina defensive coordinator, hired in 1971.
Schumann could represent a change in direction. His name has come up in several recent coaching searches, and Georgia coach Kirby Smart supported him for the North Carolina job in 2024 before the school hired Bill Belichick. Schumann’s experience working under Smart and Nick Saban should help his case, and this could be the year he moves into a head coaching role.
3. Eliah Drinkwitz — Head coach, Missouri
Drinkwitz has turned Missouri into a team worth watching since taking over in Columbia. The Tigers have made a bowl game every year under him, winning 11 games in 2023 and ten in 2024. They are on pace for another double-digit-win season in 2026.
It is fair to wonder whether he has reached the limit of what he can accomplish in the SEC, where programs such as LSU and Alabama have enormous advantages. If Drinkwitz wants a chance to take on a bigger role elsewhere, Florida State could be an attractive opportunity.
2. Jake Dickert — Head coach, Wake Forest
Dickert was among the first names mentioned when news of Norvell’s firing emerged.
Wake Forest went 9-4 last season and is now 7-1, ranked among the nation’s top 15 teams. Dickert has had success at each stop: he left Washington State with a 23-20 record and is 16-5 through two seasons at Wake Forest.
He also has a strong working relationship with general manager Rob Schlaeger. Their approach to finding and recruiting players could translate well to Florida State and the ACC.
On paper, Dickert may be the best fit for the Seminoles, except for one familiar name still in the mix.
1. Manny Diaz — Head coach, Duke
Could Florida State turn to another former Seminole who has just taken a conference rival to an ACC title? Manny Diaz is a strong possibility.
Diaz graduated from Florida State with a communications degree in 1995 and began his coaching career as a graduate assistant under Bobby Bowden. His career has since included stops at NC State, Texas, Mississippi State, Miami and Penn State. His first head coaching position was at Miami.
He has arguably done his best work at Duke, where he led the Blue Devils to nine-win seasons in both 2024 and 2025. Duke also pulled off a surprise win in the ACC Championship Game last season. Diaz knows the state and the conference, and he could be a strong choice to help Florida State get back on track.
