Michael Alford: Impact of first 6 months as FSU Athletic Director

FSU sports have been full of ups and downs over the past decade. We’ve seen the rise and fall of FSU football while FSU basketball rose to prominence.

FSU baseball went to a College World Series in 2019, despite an overall decline in the program. However, at the same time, we’ve seen the rise of FSU women’s sports. FSU soccer and FSU softball have claimed national titles, and FSU women’s basketball became a perennial top-25 program under Sue Semrau.

Other FSU Olympic sports have been competitive despite nearly a decade without a real athletic director. When I say real athletic director, I mean someone in a position with the power to make important decisions.

However, that hasn’t been the case since Dave Hart left years ago, not to mention how the athletic program and Seminole Boosters operated under different umbrellas. He caught a lot of flak, but interim athletic director, David Coburn inherited a ton of issues from his predecessor, Stan Wilcox.

However, one thing Coburn helped change was getting Seminole Boosters and FSU athletics under the same umbrella. That change, along with the hire of Michael Alford who began in the role on January 3rd, 2022, has been one of the most impactful moves for FSU athletics in a long time.

Alford worked as CEO of Seminoles Boosters for a year before becoming the athletic director, plus had experience at other high-profile institutions as athletic director that eased the transition.

What he has done in the first six months on the job has been impressive and should lend confidence to the direction of FSU sports. Let us look at some of the accomplishments.