Florida State just made a move that will impact how the team attacks its search for a new head coach. According to On3's Chris Low and Pete Nakos, Florida State is set to hire Jeff Purinton as its next athletic director. Purinton previously served as the athletic director at Arkansas State before stepping down in 2025 to become the executive vice president of Learfield Sports Properties.
Purinton is a Florida State graduate and has worked under college football legends Bobby Bowden at FSU and Nick Saban at Alabama. He began his career at Florida State, working for eight years in the team's athletic department. He also spent 15 years at Alabama, working in multiple roles, including executive deputy director of athletics.
Purinton's hiring comes as Florida State begins its search for a new football head coach after firing Mike Norvell last week. McCullough fired athletic director Michael Alford in September. "Michael Alford has served the University and our student-athletes with dedication, and we thank him for his contributions to our athletics programs," McCullough said in a statement at the time.
"As we begin this transition, our focus remains on the success of our teams and continuing to provide every competitive advantage we can to our student-athletes, coaches, and staff." Florida State is currently 4-5, and it's the third consecutive season the Seminoles have lost at least five games. The team had some success with Norvell, going undefeated in the regular season in 2023 and winning the ACC in that same year.
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