Florida State’s search for its next athletics director appears to be over.
The school is expected to hire Jeff Purinton, an FSU alum who has spent time around both Bobby Bowden and Nick Saban, according to ESPN, with the Tallahassee Democrat confirming the report. Purinton most recently served as executive vice president of Learfield Sports Properties and previously held the athletic director job at Arkansas State. The university is expected to make the hire official later today.
Purinton’s background stretches deep into the sport’s modern business side. At Learfield, he oversaw “all Southeastern Conference (SEC) school relationships,” and his work there included multimedia, NIL and revenue in today’s college athletics environment.
This move comes a little more than a week after FSU turned to Daniel Parker of Parker Executive Search to handle its athletics director and head coaching searches. Purinton will replace Michael Alford, who was fired in September after four years as the program’s AD.
His return to Tallahassee brings him back to a place where he worked from 1996 to 2004. After that stretch at FSU, Purinton spent 15 years at Alabama, where he moved through a long list of administrative roles, including Executive Deputy Director of Athletics, Deputy AD and Executive Associate AD.
Florida State still has major decisions ahead. The Seminoles remain in the market for a head football coach after firing Mike Norvell, and that search is still ongoing.
The school is also looking for a Deputy Athletic Director & Chief Financial Officer, according to its career page. Josh Turner, who previously served as the athletic program’s CFO, left for the same role at Iowa State.
Florida State’s football team is 4-5 overall and 2-4 in the ACC. The Seminoles opened with a 34-17 win over New Mexico State, then lost 27-24 to SMU before a bye.
They dropped a 50-36 game at Alabama, beat Central Arkansas 34-7, topped Virginia 38-7 and then fell at Louisville 44-20. Miami beat FSU 43-35 in double overtime, Clemson won 36-24, and the Seminoles bounced back with a 31-24 victory at Boston College.
The remaining schedule includes a trip to Pittsburgh on Nov. 13, a home game against NC State on Nov. 21 and the regular-season finale against Florida on Nov. 27.
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Florida States Final ACC Home Game Just Got More Intriguing
Florida States homecoming date with NC State on Saturday afternoon already had plenty attached to it, and now the matchup carries even more weight. The Seminoles will host the Wolfpack at 3:30 p.m. ET at Doak Campbell Stadium in what will be Florida States final ACC regular-season game, with the contest also lined up with the universitys Seminole Heritage game and 175th anniversary celebration.
The coaching backdrop adds another layer to a game that was already going to draw attention. Both programs enter with interim head coaches after recent firings, and NC State is reportedly finalizing a deal with Philip Rivers to become its next head coach. For Florida State, it turns a late-November home date into more than just another conference game, with the setting and the uncertainty around the Wolfpack giving the afternoon a different edge. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Women Are Sending An Early Warning With This Start
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For a team trying to establish itself early in the season, that kind of balance matters as much as the final margin. The Seminoles are not leaning on one scorer or one style to get through the opening stretch, and the way they handled Florida A&M suggested a roster that can win in a variety of ways while setting a demanding tone for what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Just Handed Its Coaching Search To A New AD
Florida States next football coach will be chosen under a new set of eyes, with Jeff Purinton stepping in as the schools athletic director. A Florida State alum and former Arkansas State AD, Purinton arrives with a background that stretches beyond the campus walls, including a recent run at Learfield working on SEC partnerships. That mix of institutional familiarity and outside experience gives him an immediate role in shaping both the coaching search and the broader direction of the department.
His hire also lands at a time when the Seminoles are thinking well beyond the sideline. Purinton is expected to oversee the long-term vision for Florida State athletics, and his recent work in the business side of college sports could matter as realignment chatter continues to swirl. For a program with conference ambitions still very much in play, the new ADs first major decision may end up carrying weight far beyond who takes the football job. [Read more 🡒]