Florida State University is reportedly set to hire alumnus Jeff Purinton as its next athletic director, bringing an experienced college athletics administrator back to Tallahassee during a critical period for the Seminoles’ football program.
According to On3 reporters Chris Low and Pete Nakos, Purinton is expected to take over the athletic department following the departure of former athletic director Michael Alford, who was fired earlier this fall by FSU President Richard McCullough.
One of Purinton’s first major responsibilities will be overseeing the search for Florida State’s next head football coach. The Seminoles fired Mike Norvell on November 1, and university officials have prioritized hiring a new athletic director before selecting Norvell’s replacement.
Purinton brings extensive experience working alongside two of college football’s most successful coaches: Florida State legend Bobby Bowden and former Alabama head coach Nick Saban.
A Florida State graduate, Purinton began his career in the Seminoles’ athletic department as a graduate assistant. He spent eight years at FSU, eventually becoming director of football communications during Bowden’s tenure.
After working with the Orange Bowl Committee, Purinton joined Alabama’s athletic department in 2007, coinciding with Saban’s arrival in Tuscaloosa. He initially served as associate athletic director for football communications, overseeing external communications and related responsibilities for the Crimson Tide football program.
During his 15 years at Alabama, Purinton steadily advanced through the athletic department, eventually earning a promotion to executive deputy director of athletics in 2021. His responsibilities included administrative oversight of football and men’s basketball, and he played a significant role in the coaching search that resulted in Alabama hiring men’s basketball coach Nate Oats.
Purinton left Alabama in 2022 to become athletic director at Arkansas State University. He remained in that position until 2025, when he accepted a position as executive vice president of Learfield Sports Properties.
His expected return to Florida State comes as the university faces mounting pressure to restore stability and competitiveness to its football program while navigating major changes in college athletics.
In addition to hiring a new football coach, Purinton will be tasked with strengthening fundraising efforts, expanding Florida State’s name, image and likeness (NIL) infrastructure, and helping the university remain competitive in an evolving college sports landscape.
Parker Executive Firm, which assisted Florida State with its athletic director search, is also expected to help Purinton identify and evaluate candidates for the vacant head coaching position.
Following Alford’s dismissal, McCullough emphasized the importance of finding an athletic director capable of responding quickly to the changing business of college athletics.
“All those changes all coming at once means that college football has changed dramatically, and I think that we probably need to move a bit faster than we have, and that’s what we’ll be looking for. Someone can help us to lead in that way,” McCullough said.
Purinton’s experience at Florida State, Alabama and Arkansas State gives him a background in football operations, athletic department leadership and coaching searches as the Seminoles prepare for a new era in Tallahassee.
