Florida State Hires Jeff Purinton as Athletic Director to Lead Its Football Coaching Search

Florida State went looking for someone to run its athletic department and found him in its own media guides.

Florida State named Jeff Purinton its vice president and director of athletics on Monday, Nov. 9, with university president Richard McCullough making the announcement (opens in a new tab). Purinton, a two-time FSU graduate who spent his first stint in Tallahassee handling media for Bobby Bowden's teams, now inherits the biggest job on the desk: finding the coach who replaces Mike Norvell.

Back where it started

Purinton's résumé reads like a tour of the sport's power centers. The Palatka, Fla., native started in Florida State's athletics communications office in 1994, working as a graduate assistant, assistant sports information director and eventually director of football communications. The school says he was part of 12 bowl trips in that run, including the 1999 national title season, and the AP notes that Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke was his college roommate.

He left in 2006, spent a short stretch with the Orange Bowl Committee, then moved to Alabama for 15 years, climbing from sports information to executive deputy director of athletics while Nick Saban built a dynasty. From there he became the top athletics administrator at Arkansas State, with the title of vice chancellor for intercollegiate athletics, before taking an executive vice president role at Learfield, the college sports media and marketing company. CBS Sports reported that his Learfield work centered on school partnerships in the SEC.

"Florida State is home to me in so many ways," Purinton said in the school's release. He called the job "a tremendous honor, and a responsibility that I don't take lightly."

A four day search

FSU moved fast. The university brought in Parker Executive Search on Oct. 30, and the AP reported that the firm's contract laid out a 30 day timeline for a hire. McCullough said at Tuesday's introductory press conference that it took four days to land on Purinton, according to the Tallahassee Democrat. Board of Trustees chair Peter Collins said the school interviewed seven or eight sitting Power 4 athletic directors before settling on the alum.

McCullough said in his statement that Purinton "has the experience, judgment and championship pedigree to lead Florida State Athletics." Both leaders said they wanted fresh eyes and a sharper focus on revenue. FSU fired previous athletic director Michael Alford in September, and McCullough said Purinton starts officially next week.

The coaching search is the whole job right now

The football opening has been live since Nov. 1, when FSU fired Norvell a day after a 36-24 home loss to Clemson dropped the Seminoles to 3-5. Norvell went 41-39 in Tallahassee, and CBS Sports reports the school is on the hook for a $46 million buyout.

Purinton told reporters Tuesday that the search is his top priority and that much of the heavy lifting will happen as other teams finish their seasons, with FSU building its candidate list and doing research in the meantime. Sports Illustrated's FSU site reported that he plans to spend his first 30 days meeting with coaches and administrators, and that Parker Executive Search had already handed him a list of potential names.

His standard for the next coach is simple to say and hard to find. "To me, the most important thing is the product that you see on the field," Purinton said, per SI. He listed the questions he will ask about every candidate: "How do they play the game? Are they motivated? Do they make mistakes? Do they play pretty clean football?"

He also said an FSU connection would carry weight but is not a requirement, pointing to Bowden and Saban as the kind of program builders he has seen up close.

Money is the other half

Purinton said he will chase every revenue stream available, and SI reported he wants to explore jersey patches and new sponsorships. That money matters for a roster budget that has to match FSU's expectations, and CBS Sports noted his SEC relationships could help if Florida State keeps pushing toward the sport's top conferences.

Meanwhile, on the field

Interim coach Rick Stockstill has the Seminoles playing for something. Florida State won 31-24 at Boston College on Nov. 7 to improve to 4-5 and 2-4 in the ACC, snapping a 12 game road losing streak. The Seminoles visit Pitt on Friday, Nov. 13, then host NC State on Nov. 21 and Florida on Nov. 27. Two wins in those three games would make them bowl eligible.

Whoever Purinton hires will walk into a program with a proud history, a huge buyout bill on the books and a fan base that wants the climb back. The new athletic director knows the building better than almost anyone. Now he has to pick the coach who fills it.

Sources: Florida State Athletics, Associated Press, CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated, Tallahassee Democrat and Field Level Media. More college football coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: Florida State Athletics.