TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida State fired athletics director Michael Alford on Monday morning, school president Dr. Richard McCullough announced.
Alford had been Florida State’s athletics director since January 2022 after he was hired in the fall of 2020 to be the president of Seminole Boosters, Inc.
“Michael Alford has served the University and our student-athletes with dedication, and we thank him for his contributions to our athletics programs,”
McCullough said in a statement.
The dismissal was without cause, McCullough said. It’s not clear how much Alford is owed by Florida State on a four-year deal that was announced in August 2024.
McCullough, speaking later Monday, said the decision to fire Alford was necessary to compete in a college sports landscape that “is changing incredibly rapidly.”
“This is a first step in working toward doing everything that we can to build revenue and take a look at the kind of administration that we need moving forward,” McCullough said. “We’re going through a time where the investments that we’re making in college football is rapidly increasing.
“People often say that we have a spending problem. But the spending problem is essentially a reality. The reality is that’s what it takes to be competitive at the highest level.”
McCullough appointed Bruce Warwick, currently senior associate athletics director, to serve as interim athletics director. There will be a national search for Alford’s replacement.
“It is important that we remain dedicated to providing continuity and support to our student-athletes, coaches and staff, who remain our top priority,” Warwick said in a statement.
Alford posted a statement on X saying he was proud of what he achieved at Florida State.
“We have won championships, developed outstanding young men and women and watched them earn their college degrees, built or enhanced facilities and always acted in the best interests of our student-athletes and our institution,” Alford wrote. “I believe there is a strong foundation in place for FSU Athletics and I am confident that the momentum will continue.”
The decision comes as football coach Mike Norvell is on the hot seat after two losing seasons and a lackluster 1-1 start. Florida State is a 20.5-point underdog at No. 10 Alabama on Saturday. If Norvell is replaced in the coming weeks or months, the hire will be made by a new athletics director as well as McCullough and Board of Trustees chairman Peter Collins.
McCullough has been Florida State’s president for five years. While often championing the Seminoles’ athletes at various events, he rarely holds news conferences. He was asked on Monday about Norvell, who is 39-35 in his seventh season at Florida State.
“I love Mike Norvell. He’s a great human being,” McCullough said. “I love what he does with our student-athletes. Our grades have never been better under his leadership. I love how he takes our student-athletes and helps them to be the best version of themselves. I love how he makes them competitive and we love all of that.
“And I have to tell you, nobody wants to win more than Mike Norvell. Except for maybe the players, me, chairman Collins. We want to win. Of course we want to win. College coaches are in the winning business. That’s what we’re working on.”
In his time at Florida State, Alford made significant head coach hires — men’s basketball’s Luke Loucks, baseball’s Link Jarrett, soccer’s Brian Pensky, women’s basketball’s Brooke Wyckoff and lacrosse’s Sara Tisdale. FSU launched a women’s lacrosse program in spring 2025.
Florida State also won a pair of soccer titles under Pensky’s leadership, including in December 2025.
Alford’s era at Florida State signaled massive facility projects for football, at a price tag of more than $400 million. Construction crews transformed the west side of Doak Campbell Stadium, and the football only facility that broke ground in December 2022 opened up in October 2025.
But Alford’s decision to take on the debt, do a football re-seat of Doak and drive ticket prices higher in sections of the stadium drew the ire of thousands of longtime Florida State fans.
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