Mike Norvell has been dismissed following another disappointing season. Florida State has named Rick Stockstill its interim head coach following the firing. While Stockstill is set to have the first crack at being the long-term replacement, there are plenty of examples of interim coaches being a short-term fix in college football history.

As such, another name is likely to lead the program in 2027. However, some candidates are more likely and desirable than others. Here are five possible replacements for Norvell, ranked by desirability rather than the likelihood of Florida State being able to hire them.

Top 5 Mike Norvell Replacements Who Can Shake Up FSU For the Better By Desirability

#5 – Clark Lea

Clark Lea has proven that when equipped with the right pieces, he can lead a program as well as anyone. Of course, the hard part will be translating his Vanderbilt success to a more demanding program. Lea won 17 games in 2024 and 2025 and helped sculpt Diego Pavia into a Heisman finalist in 2025. However, with his team at 3-5 this season and more losing seasons than winning ones on his resume, the coach could be in line for work after this season.

Considering the Seminoles are coming off a disastrous run with Mike Norvell, Lea’s floor would be about the same as Norvell. However, his ceiling could be exactly what the Seminoles need. If other options are taken, the team could do worse than Lea.

#4 – Brent Venables

Brent Venables has led the Oklahoma Sooners to two 10-win seasons in the last four years. This year, he sits at 4-4, which offers a better floor than what the Seminoles had with Mike Norvell, who finished under .500 in each of his last three seasons. Venables finds himself working with a proud Sooners program with a history of excellence. As such, Venables’ track record of good might not be good enough.

However, if the Seminoles could get a 10-win season out of Venables in 2027, it would match Norvell’s second-best season of his seven-year career. At that point, it would be hard to say the Seminoles are not back.

#3 – Philip Rivers

Philip Rivers made headlines as a potential college coach candidate on Halloween, as ESPN reported that Rivers was in talks with NC State. That means Rivers could be interested in coaching elsewhere. If that is the case, FSU could be a potential landing spot. Located in Tallahassee, Florida, FSU would be only a few hours’ drive from his home state of Alabama.

If Rivers is feeling nostalgic and wants to stay in a familiar part of the country, FSU has a great case. If the program can also throw some money at him, it would sweeten the deal. Rivers has been coaching high school football, so he is already familiar with working with freshman-age players. Part of returning to former glory is to bring back fans, and Rivers would certainly bring back the spotlight.

#2 – Dan Lanning

Dan Lanning hasn’t lived up to the sky-high expectations in Oregon this season, but he also has been hit with the hard reality of working without Dante Moore. If the Ducks move on from Lanning, he could be one of the top coaching options in the country. Even in a disastrous year, the Ducks have put together a 5-3 record with wins over USC and Northwestern.

If FSU can give Lanning a quality quarterback, he could be in line for double-digit wins, as he has delivered in each of his last four full seasons. He has already shown he can build a competitive program and recruit at a high level.

#1 – Dabo Swinney

Dabo Swinney might be the coach with the highest ceiling, with any chance of moving on after the season. Swinney has delivered at least 10 wins 13 times in his coaching career. The Clemson Tigers, a proud program, might decide to move on from the coach much earlier than other programs may.

A motivated Swinney could be a scary thing, which is why FSU would have every reason to send him a competitive offer. After all, one cannot spell “Swinney” without “win.”