Arkansas State Hires Alabama Executive Deputy Director of Athletics Jeff Purinton as Athletic Director
Arkansas State University announced on Wednesday that the school will be hiring Jeff Purinton as its next Athletic Director. Purinton joins the Redwolves after serving as Executive Deputy Director of Athletics for the University of Alabama.
Purinton has been employed by the University of Alabama athletic department since 2007. His original role with the Tide was as Associate Athletics Director for Football Communications under head coach Nick Saban.
Purinton was instrumental in marketing and promoting the Alabama football program off the field while Saban was building the program on the field. He oversaw 12 ESPN Gameday visits while in the role and created the Crimson Caravan spring booster tour.
Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne placed Purinton on the leadership committee in charge of implementing The Crimson Standard, a fundraising initiative designed to facilitate facility upgrades.
Purinton was promoted to Executive Deputy Director of Athletics at the University of Alabama in 2021, essentially putting him second in command behind Byrne in the athletic department.
He replaces Tom Bowen at Arkansas State who lasted just over a year in the role in Jonesboro. Bowen stepped down last month citing health concerns.
“We hired Jeff in the summer of my first year at Alabama in large part because he brought great outside perspective and had really strong national relationships," said Alabama head coach Nick Saban. "I relied on Jeff often, especially those first few years, in areas beyond just the media in terms of building the football program to where it is now. He moved up in terms of his administrative role here and has done an outstanding job as our football oversight. I don’t have any doubt Jeff will make an outstanding AD for Arkansas State.”
Purinton will reunite with former Alabama assistant coach Butch Jones at Arkansas State. Jones just finished his first season as head coach of the Red Wolves. He and Purinton worked under Saban together from 2018-20.