A Return to Bowden Roots Would Suit Florida State Just Fine

Monday, the Florida State administration announced the hiring of Jeff Purinton as their next athletic director. Purinton is a Florida State man, a graduate of the university.

Our own Kyle Golik wrote a story about Purinton and what he brings to his new role in Tallahassee.

He took advantage of an opportunity to work with Bobby Bowden as a student assistant in the Sports Information Department during the 1999 national championship season.

Purinton’s success in that role led to bigger roles with more responsibility.

He honed his athletic leadership skills at another championship level with the Alabama Crimson Tide.

He also brings leadership experience in the business side of an ever-changing college sports landscape as former vice president of Learfield Sports Properties.

With Purinton’s hire, it appears that Florida State wants to get back to the championship roots planted by Bowden.

The first order of business for Purinton is to hire a permanent head football coach to replace Mike Norvell, who was fired along with defensive coordinator Tony White and safeties coach Evan Cooper.

There are three coaching candidates that are products of the Bowden coaching crucible.

They could bring the Seminoles football program back to its former glory established by Bowden.

Manny Diaz is currently the head coach at Duke and won the ACC title last season.

Diaz has six years of head coaching experience in the ACC, with three years at Miami, and he is in his third year with the Blue Devils.

Diaz has a 25-11 record at Duke, .694 winning percentage, and has back-to-back nine-win seasons in 2024 and 2025.  

A graduate of Florida State, Diaz entered the coaching profession in 1998.

Diaz cut his teeth working with the defense as a graduate assistant under Bowden and defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews.

Diaz was on Bowden’s staff during their national championship run in 1999.

Jimbo Fisher was the hand-picked successor when Bowden’s tenure came to an end in 2010.

After three seasons as the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach from 2007-2009, Fisher wasted no time picking up where the Bowden dynasty left off. 

In his eight years as head coach at Florida State, Fisher’s Seminole teams posted 10+ win seasons in six of them.

He also had nine wins in 2011. In 2013, Fisher led Florida State to a national title.

Fisher only had one losing season, in 2017. He finished his tenure at Florida State with an 83-23 record and a .783 winning percentage.  

Rick Stockstill bleeds garnet and gold and is a former starting quarterback under Bowden.  

During his time under center, Stockstill led the Seminoles to victory over some of the top programs in college football, such as Nebraska, Ohio State and Notre Dame.

Stockstill spent 18 years as head coach at Middle Tennessee State and won 113 games with the Blue Raiders. He also won three conference coach of the year awards. 

Stockstill is humble. However, he knows what it takes to win the Bowden way. There is no man in college football that fits the mold of a Florida State man than coach Stockstill.

Purinton will hit the ground running in his new role. He knows that the Bowden dynasty roots need watering.

Based on his knowledge of championship-level football, he knows exactly what to do to rebuild a once-proud program. 

With Purinton now at the helm of the athletic department, Florida State football could be back to prominence sooner rather than later.