Florida State football is, more than most programs, the story of one coach. Bobby Bowden arrived in 1976 at a school that had won four games in the previous three years and left in 2009 with two national championships, twelve ACC titles and 33 straight winning seasons. His offensive coordinator, Jimbo Fisher, won a third title in 2013. Mike Norvell, now in his seventh season, went 13 and 0 in 2023 and was left out of the playoff, then went 2 and 10 the next year.
Florida State Head Coaches Since 1960
| Coach | Seasons | Record | Titles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Norvell | 2020 to present | 38, 34 through 2025 | ACC 2023 |
| Odell Haggins | 2017, 2019 | 3, 2 | Interim twice |
| Willie Taggart | 2018 to 2019 | 9, 12 | None |
| Jimbo Fisher | 2010 to 2017 | 83, 23 | National 2013; ACC 2012, 2013, 2014 |
| Bobby Bowden | 1976 to 2009 | 304, 97, 4 (official) | National 1993, 1999; ACC 1992 to 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005 |
| Bill Peterson | 1960 to 1970 | 62, 42, 11 | None |
Records are wins, losses and ties. Gold rows are coaches who won a national or ACC title. Bowden won 316 games on the field at Florida State; the NCAA vacated 12 wins from 2006 and 2007 over an academic scandal. Florida State joined the ACC in 1992. Larry Jones (1971 to 1973) and Darrell Mudra (1974 to 1975) coached between Peterson and Bowden.
Bobby Bowden, 1976 to 2009
Bowden, who had been an assistant at Florida State in the 1960s and then head coach at West Virginia, took over a program in its worst stretch and went 10 and 2 in his second season. His teams finished in the top five of the AP poll 14 straight years from 1987 to 2000, still an unmatched run, and won national championships after the 1993 season, beating Nebraska in the Orange Bowl, and the 1999 season, when Florida State was ranked first from the preseason poll to the end. After joining the ACC in 1992 the Seminoles won the first nine conference titles and twelve in all under him. He coached Heisman winners Charlie Ward and Chris Weinke, retired after the 2009 season and died in 2021. The field at Doak Campbell Stadium carries his name.
Jimbo Fisher, 2010 to 2017
Fisher was hired as offensive coordinator in 2007 as Bowden’s designated successor and took over in 2010. His 2013 team, led by Heisman winner Jameis Winston, went 14 and 0 and beat Auburn in the final BCS championship game, and the Seminoles won three straight ACC titles from 2012 to 2014, reaching the first College Football Playoff. He left for Texas A&M in December 2017, and Odell Haggins coached the bowl game.
Willie Taggart, 2018 to 2019
Taggart came from Oregon and went 5 and 7 in his first season, ending Florida State’s 36 year streak of bowl appearances. He was fired nine games into his second season at 4 and 5, and Haggins again finished the year as interim coach.
Mike Norvell, 2020 to present
Norvell arrived from Memphis and rebuilt slowly, then produced one of the best seasons in school history in 2023: 13 and 0 and the ACC title, won after quarterback Jordan Travis broke his leg. The playoff committee left Florida State out, the first time an unbeaten Power Five champion was excluded, and a depleted team lost the Orange Bowl to Georgia. The next season fell to 2 and 10, the program’s worst record in decades. In 2025 the Seminoles upset Alabama in the opener but finished 5 and 7 and missed a bowl, and the school announced Norvell would return. He entered 2026 on one of the hottest seats in the sport. Our 2026 schedule page has the full slate.
Before Bowden
Florida State’s modern football program began in 1947, when the school became coeducational. Bill Peterson, coach from 1960 to 1970, won 62 games and built the passing attack that made Fred Biletnikoff an All American, and his staffs included future head coaches such as Bill Parcells and Joe Gibbs.
The Bottom Line
Florida State’s three national championships came under Bobby Bowden in 1993 and 1999 and Jimbo Fisher in 2013. Bowden is the program’s defining figure with 304 official wins, 34 seasons and twelve ACC titles. Mike Norvell has the 2023 ACC title and the unbeaten season, but also two losing years since. See the hot seat tracker, the coaches with the most wins, Florida State stats and the Florida State score today.