Florida State University President Richard McCullough issued a statement on Tuesday, Oct. 27, about FSU's ongoing search for a new athletic director. Here is the full message, which he shared on social media.
To All Seminole Athletics Fans and Supporters:
I hear you. I understand your frustration. And I share your expectations for Florida State Football and Seminole Athletics.
I know some of you are questioning whether university leadership understands the seriousness of this moment, whether meaningful action is taking place behind the scenes, and whether there is a clear plan for the future.
Those are fair questions. You deserve to know that your passion, your investment, and your expectations are not being taken for granted.
Let me be clear: the
leadership team and I care deeply. And we are methodically working on a plan that positions Florida State for sustained success.
Would we like this work to move faster? Absolutely. But meaningful, lasting change requires us to make the right moves in the right order, at the right time, and that is what we are committed to doing. Our responsibility is to make the right decisions for Florida State's long-term future.
We have been evaluating every aspect of our athletics organization, including defining the role, responsibilities, and expectations for our next Athletics Director. That work requires honest assessments, difficult conversations, and a realistic analysis of the immense changes and challenges in athletics over the past several years. That work is nearing completion, which means we will be able to begin the search for a new Athletics Director soon.
Our vision has not changed. Florida State should compete for championships, develop exceptional student-athletes, attract outstanding coaches and personnel, and operate with the resources, leadership, and commitment necessary to succeed at the highest level of college athletics.
That standard is not negotiable.
This is a consequential moment for Florida State. We have extraordinary tradition, a passionate national following, exceptional institutional support, and the opportunity to build something worthy of the Seminole name.
We are not asking you to lower your expectations. We are telling you that we share and embrace them.
We are not asking you to ignore the results. We are committed to changing them.
And we are not asking you to believe that everything is fine. We know it isn't.
What we ask now is that you stand firmly behind our current student-athletes. Show them your support. Pack Doak Campbell Stadium for the remainder of this season and bring your energy and passion to support our team at each and every game. Our players show great commitmentand effort every single day, and they deserve your continued support on and off the field.
Your support is essential. I am grateful for your commitment. We understand the challenges before us, and I will continue to share our progress with you. We are fully committed to building lasting success at Florida State.
Sincerely,
Richard McCullough
President, Florida State University
FSU fired former athletic director Michael Alford on Sept. 14, with McCullough speaking with the media later that day and answering a few questions. He spoke about making changes to the athletic department to compete in the new era of college sports.
"I think we'll want to make those kinds of sort of strategic plans and have that put in motion before we would hire a new athletic director," he said. "There may be some changes in the organizational structure and things like that, but it's not going to be some huge, dramatic thing, but it's work that we have to do."
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Florida State President Richard says AD search will begin soon
