Florida State set to hire Jeff Purinton as next athletic director.
Florida State · AlabamaHe will immediately lead the head coaching search. Purinton, an FSU grad, worked under two college football legends, Bobby Bowde n at FSU and Nick Saban at Alabama, in various roles.
His first order of business at Florida State will be leading the search for a new head football coach. McCullough fired athletic director Michael Alford earlier this fall.
He worked with the Orange Bowl Committee before going to Alabama with Saban in 2007 and handling all external areas of the program as the Crimson Tide’s associate athletic director for football communications. Purinton spent 15 years at Alabama and was promoted to executive deputy director of athletics in 2021.
During his time at Alabama, Purinton had stints as the sport administrator for both football and men’s basketball. He was heavily involved in the basketball coaching search that led to the hiring of Nate Oats .
KEY POINTS
- Florida State is set to hire Jeff Purinton as its next athletic director.
- Over the last 10 days, the university has focused on hiring an athletic director to lead the search for the next head coach.
- Parker Executive Firm assisted Florida State with its athletic director search and will assist Purinton with the head football coach search.
- Purinton previously served as athletic director at Arkansas State but stepped down in 2025 to become executive vice president of Learfield Sports Properties.