FSU’s Rick Stockstill Accomplishes Something Bobby Bowden Never Did

Rick Stockstill helped legendary head coach Bobby Bowden defeat Pittsburgh as Florida State’s quarterback in the 1980's. On Friday night, another win over the Panthers gave Stockstill a start that even his old coach never had in Tallahassee, Florida.

FSU's 16-10 win at Pitt moved Stockstill to 2-0 as interim head coach, joining "Two and Odell Haggins" after a 31-24 victory at Boston College.

Bowden lost his first two games at Florida State in 1976, falling to Memphis State and Miami on the road.

Stockstill Joins a Short List of Florida State Coaches

Sep 26, 2026; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles associate head coach Odell Haggins before a game against the Central Arkansas Bears at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Stockstill became the third coach in Florida State history to win his first two games. Larry Jones opened his tenure with five straight wins in 1971, and Haggins won his first four games across two interim head-coaching stints with the Seminoles.

Haggins beat ULM and Southern Miss in 2017, then picked up wins over Boston College and Alabama State when he took over again in 2019.

Rick Stockstill is the third FSU coach ever to win his first two games, joining Larry Jones (5-0 in 1971) and Odell Haggins.

His 115 career FBS wins rank 13th among active FBS coaches. pic.twitter.com/VB0ic0jJ7B
— Logan B. Robinson (@LogansTwitty) November 14, 2026

Stockstill is the only one of the three to win both of his first two games on the road. Jones opened at a neutral site in Mobile, Alabama, and Haggins made his debut at Doak Campbell Stadium.

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Although it's a likely circumstance, that distinction carries some weight. Florida State had lost 12 straight road games before Stockstill took over. The Seminoles ended that streak at Boston College, then got back to .500 with the win at Pitt.

Now the Seminoles need one more win to reach bowl eligibility for the first time since 2023 and will play their final two games at home starting with NC State on Saturday.

Stockstill's 115th Career Win

Nov 13, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Rick Stockstill (left) and Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi (right) meet after the game at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The victory at Pitt was Stockstill’s 115th as an FBS head coach, putting him 13th among active coaches at the time. He earned 113 of those victories in 18 seasons at Middle Tennessee, where he led the Blue Raiders to 10 bowl appearances and earned conference coach of the year honors three times.

One of those 115 wins came against a familiar opponent, bitter rival Miami. Stockstill took Middle Tennessee to Hard Rock Stadium in 2022 and beat No. 25 Miami 45-31.

Stockstill has two chances to get Florida State back to a bowl after the Seminoles missed the postseason the past two years.

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