Nearly 50 years after he signed to play at Florida State for coach 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, his only losing season. Improvement came quickly as Bowden built a reputation of playing top-ranked programs on the road, often winning, especially a 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 ACC) turn the season around.
"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 now have the new football building next to Doak Campbell Stadium. But the responsibility, even if for the moment 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 quarterback in 1981 as FSU played three ranked opponents, all on the road. The Seminoles lost at No. 11 Nebraska and No. 4 Pittsburgh but defeated No. 15 Ohio State, Notre Dame and LSU in a road schedule that's unlike any in today's football landscape.
Even though FSU went 6-5 in Stockstill's senior season, the Seminoles had taken their team on the road to face the blue bloods of the sport and made a name for the program.
Now, Stockstill takes over the Seminoles in what has been a dreadful stretch for a program went 10-22 the last three seasons under Mike Norvell. FSU president Richard McCullough fired Norvell, who was 1-5 against Power Four opponents, on Sunday and the school will pay him a buyout of approximately $50 million through the end of his contract in 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 be 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 win at Miami in 2022 when the Hurricanes were a 25.5-point favorite in Mario Cristobal's first season.
After he was dismissed at Middle Tennessee, Norvell hired Stockstill in a role as a director of scouting for Florida State's offense. And now he's Florida State's coach, if even for the interim, and is determined not just to keep the seat warm for whoever McCullough and Board of Trustees chairman Peter Collins hire.
Here are seven takeaways from Stockstill’s press conference on Monday:
A coach again
Norvell hired Stockstill to be a scout. Back when practices were open, Stockstill was an observer and often offered tips to players. He didn't have a clipboard, but he was a scout and not a coach. He didn't want to step on an assistant's toes.
Now, Stockstill is back to being a coach. And he has an extensive background on offense having coached quarterbacks, receivers and tight ends at various points before he was Middle Tennessee's head coach.
"I was appreciative of coach giving me the opportunity where I was at, but every day I walked through that door, I can't tell you how much I missed coaching, how much I missed interacting with the players," Stockstill said. "I'd go downstairs to the GA's office or the coaches' office and just hang out just to kind of be around coaches. I'm ecstatic about this opportunity and that's what I feel I am. I'm a coach. Again, I'm appreciative of the opportunity, but I'm jacked. I'm fired up to get out there and actually coach and be around and try to impact coaches and players as much as I can."
What Sims brings to FSU's defense
Ernie Sims Jr. has been an All-American linebacker at FSU but he's in his early stages as an assistant coach. After spending 2024 as an analyst and 2025 as assistant linebackers coach, he's in his first year as the linebackers coach and now will be the interim defensive coordinator.
It’s not clear how much Sims and the coaches can or will change of the 3-3-5 scheme during a game week. But FSU has featured three-, four- and five-man fronts this fall. Sims has never been a coordinator, so there’s no track record for fans and media to research — or for opposing coaches to scout.
"He loves Florida State. He's a passionate, energetic, enthusiastic coach," Stockstill said. "You're gonna get Ernie's best every day. It doesn't matter if it's a full-padded practice or a walkthrough. You're gonna get great energy, great passion from Ernie. He's got a good rapport with his players and the defensive players."
This is Tim Harris' offense now
Harris Jr. was FSU's offensive coordinator and helped Norvell with preparing the game plan. But Norvell was the play-caller. Stockstill plans to be engaged in conversations during the week and on game days, but Harris will be the play-caller.
"I'm not a micromanager. I haven't been in those offensive meetings, it would be unfair for those offensive coaches for me to jump in here and do this or do that," Stockstill said. "I've got a lot of faith and trust in Tim and the offensive guys on that staff. As things hopefully settle down here in the next day, I'm gonna spend more time in the offensive meeting and if I see something, suggest something.
“But Tim will have complete control of the play calling, then I'll help him in the course of the game of decision-making on if we're gonna go for it on fourth down or any critical decisions that come up throughout the course of the game. I'll have my input on that."
Leadership not a concern
Fans and media have often been asking if FSU had enough leaders on offense and defense through the years. At times, the answer appeared to be a no in 2024 and in 2025 was a question mark on defense. What does Stockstill think?
"The great teams have always been player-led. We've got tremendous leadership on this team on both sides of the ball," Stockstill said. "I have no doubt that they're gonna rally together and all that, but we as coaches, we have to do a great job because players are gonna look at us. They're gonna look at coaches and see how they respond to adversity and things that when things don't go right, they see how coaches respond. So we have to be a great example for them."
Stockstill says 'no' to youth movement
FSU will likely use younger players as depth issues have popped up at running back, linebacker and defensive back. Amari Thomas, Jasen Lopez and Devin Carter should see more snaps, for example. But don't expect widespread usage of freshmen and sophomores just to give the head coach of FSU football in 2027 an early look at the roster.
"I want to win and I'm not interested in, 'let's see what he can do for next year.' Unless he's a better player," Stockstill said in what was among his most blunt answers of the day. "We're gonna do everything we can to win. That's all I care about."
FSU is ‘close’
Florida State now seeks its first road victory in three seasons, playing at Boston College (4-4, 2-3) on Saturday at noon (ACC Network). The Seminoles are far from a show car but they aren't a clunker, Stockstill said.
"It's not broke, we got some dents in it we gotta get fixed, but I really truly believe, and I'm not saying this because of my love for Florida State, but Florida State is close," Stockstill said. "We're gonna get there, but it's gonna take everybody pulling the rope in the same direction."
Where the sport stands
Stockstill coached for 18 years at Middle Tennessee and also had runs as an assistant at schools like Clemson and South Carolina. He's seen the sport grow and evolve firsthand through the decades. And Stockstill has a view of what's right and wrong with the state of the sport.
"College football has never been better. There's a lot of positives going on,” Stockstill said. “The big thing is we just got to get some parameters on the transfer portal and the money. Once we get everybody to me on a level, same playing field, it's gonna be better."
Stockstill would like to limit the number of times a player can transfer. The Protect College Sports Act in part would attempt to cap transfers to just one. That legislation passed the Senate and is pending House approval after the mid terms.
"I saw some of my buddies this past weekend and we're talking about it and where are you gonna go when you're our age? What are you gonna call your school?” Stockstill asked. “I think that's what they're missing now. If they could put some parameters a little bit on how many times you can transfer and all that, I think would help it."
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