Florida State hires Jeff Purinton as AD: FSU taps alum amid coaching search to replace Mike Norvell

After a months-long search, Florida State has hired Jeff Purinton as the next athletic director in Tallahassee, the school announced on Monday. CBS Sports' John Talty first reported news of the move earlier in the day on Monday.

Purinton is a Florida State alum and spent time as Arkansas State's athletic director before becoming an executive vice president at Learfield. He'll now take over the athletics department in Tallahassee, where his first major task will be leading a search for a new football coach, but he will also need to lead a long-term vision to keep Florida State as part of college football's top tier.

"I want to give my deep appreciation and thanks to President Richard McCullough and BOT Chair Peter Collins for placing their trust and belief in me to lead Florida State Athletics," Purinton said in a statement. "Florida State is home to me in so many ways. It's where I went to school, where I got my start in this profession and where I learned from people who helped shape the way I've approached my career. I was fortunate to work with Coach Bowden, Coach Martin and Coach Saban. The lessons I learned from them about leadership, relationships and representing an institution have stayed with me.

"Coming back to lead this athletics department is a tremendous honor, and a responsibility that I don't take lightly. I know how much Florida State means to our alumni, our fans and everyone who has been part of this program. I also know how much work goes into meeting the expectations that come with wearing the garnet and gold. I'm excited to get started, to listen, to build relationships and to work with our coaches, student-athletes, staff and supporters to move Florida State Athletics forward."

The Seminoles fired Mike Norvell last week, eating a $46 million buyout to bring an end to a tenure that saw him go 41-39 at Florida State. Under Norvell, the Seminoles peaked in 2023 when the Noiles went 13-0 in the regular season but were still left out of the College Football Playoff.

That season, coupled with the Alabama job opening up as Nick Saban retired, led Florida State to hand Norvell a massive contract extension that quickly became one of the worst in the sport. Florida State has slipped from being a playoff contender to a mid-tier ACC team over the past three seasons. For a program that expects to be in the mix for national championships, that became unacceptable.

Purinton will know firsthand what the expectations are in Tallahassee, and he will be tasked with nailing the coaching hire and rallying support among the donor base to build a roster capable of meeting those expectations.

What makes Purinton an especially intriguing hire for Florida State is what he was most recently in charge of at Learfield. Purinton led Learfield's school partnerships within the SEC.

Given Florida State's ambitions to leave the ACC to join the SEC or Big Ten in a potential superleague to stay in the sport's elite level, Purinton's connections within the SEC -- which also include spending 15 years in the Alabama athletics department -- could help the Seminoles in their pursuit of a spot in a top conference in the next wave of realignment.

However, the Seminoles will still have to prove they belong in that conversation as one of the nation's best programs on the field first before those connections can pay dividends. That means Purinton will need to finally find the right coach to take over in Tallahassee after two misses in the post-Jimbo Fisher era.