Jeff Purinton is expected to return to his alma mater as Florida State’s next athletic director. Nick Kelly of AL.com reported the expected hire, citing a source with knowledge of the hire.
Pete Thamel reported on Nov. 9, 2026, that Florida State was “targeting” Purinton for the job. Yahoo Sports, citing Ross Dellenger, reported that he was set to become the Seminoles’ next athletic director. Kelly credited ESPN with first reporting the expected hire.
For Purinton, the anticipated move would mean returning to the school where he began his career. According to Kelly’s account, the Florida State graduate started as a sports information graduate assistant in 1998. He later became assistant sports information director, then served as director of football communications from 2004 to 2006, working for Bobby Bowden.
His career at Alabama included a long stretch in football communications before he moved into senior athletics administration. Kelly reported that Purinton was Alabama’s football sports information director from 2007 to 2015 and executive deputy director of athletics under Greg Byrne from 2021 to 2022.
Purinton subsequently became Arkansas State’s athletic director, staying until 2025, when he joined Learfield as an executive vice president, according to AL.com. Learfield was his most recent role, rather than Arkansas State.
A football-coaching search would await him at Florida State: Kelly reported that the athletics department he is expected to lead is tasked with finding a new football coach.
