KC Smurthwaite is a consultant for Athletics Admin, specializing in revenue generation, licensing, marketing, and higher education. He has almost two decades of experience in collegiate athletics and the sports and entertainment industry. Smurthwaite is a fractional employee of several athletic departments across the country. He also teaches sports management and journalism as an adjunct professor. Follow him on Twitter or connect on LinkedIn. Smurthwaite can also be reached at [email protected].
Department Snapshot:
Arkansas State | Budget: $32.3 Million | 16 Sports
The coaching — ahem — athletic director carousel is spinning again. HERO Sports hopes to build this Department Snapshot into a recurring series for any athletic director opening. Jeff Purinton has left Arkansas State, and all signs point to him taking on a VP-level role with Learfield.
Unlike the coaching carousel in football or basketball, AD hires often take months — sometimes even years — rather than days or weeks. Just look at Illinois State, which recently announced Dr. Jeri Beggs as its new AD, filling a vacancy that’s existed since 2023. Also, unlike other carousels, there really is no offseason or “good time to leave” for an athletic director.
Let’s take a 30,000-foot view of the department and the role. This information is pulled from a mix of sources — individuals, EADA reports, and other public entities. All figures reflect the 2023–24 fiscal year.
Purinton was hired in May 2022 by then-Arkansas State University System President Dr. Chuck Welch, who stepped down in November 2023. Arkansas State Chancellor Dr. Todd Shields gave Purinton a one-year contract extension in August 2023. At the time, Purinton was the third AD in as many years, bringing a short stint of stability to Jonesboro.
During his tenure, Purinton made three head coach hires: Bryan Hodgson (men’s basketball), Mike Silva (baseball), and most recently Ryan Pannone, who replaced Hodgson just three weeks after leaving for South Florida. Hodgson went 45–28 (24–12) over two seasons, appearing in the NIT and CBI.
He also led facility improvements, most notably a baseball stadium renovation that included a new turf field and scoreboard.
Arkansas State AD Contract
Original Term: June 13, 2022 – June 30, 2027
Extended to: June 30, 2028 (via a one-year extension in 2023)
Base Salary: $400,000
Retention Bonus: $60,000 due on July 1, 2025
The contract includes heavy buyout language specifically tied to accepting a position at an Autonomy 5 school, but nothing explicitly about departures for non-AD jobs. If Purinton had taken an A5 AD role, a $600,000 buyout would’ve applied — but it’s unclear whether any buyout was triggered in this case.
Without the retention bonus, Purinton ranked tied for 9th in AD salary among Sun Belt schools. With the bonus, he would’ve moved up to 5th.
Additionally, there were bonus opportunities laid out here:
Arkansas State has been competitive across multiple sports. Both basketball teams logged 20+ win seasons. Red Wolves women’s volleyball posted 28 wins and finished as the conference championship runner-up.
A significant decision awaits the incoming AD: the future of head football coach Butch Jones. The program is coming off back-to-back bowl appearances, including an 8–5 finish in 2024 and a win in the 68 Ventures Bowl. But overall, Jones is 19–31 (11–21 in conference). The seat is warm. In the 2010s, Arkansas State made nine straight bowls and cycled through three head coaches in three years (Harsin, Malzahn, Freeze). Expectations are high. Jones’ contract runs through December 31, 2026.
Arkansas State Budget Snapshot
Arkansas State’s $32.3 million budget ranks 11th out of 14 in the Sun Belt — ahead of Georgia Southern, Southern Miss, and Louisiana-Monroe.
Arkansas State Facilities
First National Bank Arena is a 10,038-seat, on-campus, multi-purpose venue built in 1987. Owned by the university, it operates as a separate entity from athletics and serves as a revenue generator, hosting everything from concerts to children’s shows. However, per their foundation website, it’s “been a while since there have been major upgrades” that directly impact athletics. There are no current capital projects, though donations to a general fund are accepted.
Centennial Bank Stadium, where the football team plays, holds 30,406. A major renovation came in 2019 with the construction of a two-level, 66,500-square-foot north-end zone facility featuring a new locker room. The 2015 “Centennial Expansion” added 42 loge boxes, 20 suites, and 344 club seats.
Despite the upgrades, football home attendance averaged just 17,871 — bottom-third in the Sun Belt. In contrast, men’s basketball ranked second in conference attendance with over 5,000 per game, and women’s basketball ranked in the top five.
There has been talk of a football-only (indoor or outdoor) practice facility, but as of right now, football practices indoors at the Student Activity Center. Athletics is the primary tenant, but it’s shared with on-campus entities.
Arkansas State Fundraising
Athletics fundraising runs through the Red Wolves Foundation. There’s no major campaign currently underway, but several giving programs support all sports across the department. They have both functioning annual and major giving programs, with an ongoing list of naming opportunities at a $25,000 or more level.
What Others Are Saying
“It’s a good job. I feel like in a lot of spots there, the faces change, but the success stays. It has been a springboard for a lot of coaches and even administrators.” – FCS Athletic Director
“It doesn’t look great when an athletic director leaves for a job outside the industry, especially at what’s perceived as a good mid-major program. What’s going on there?” – FBS Deputy Athletic Director
“They have some rules that limit them when it comes to university support and student fees, I believe. That holds them back a lot when you compare them to other schools.” – FBS Deputy Athletic Director
Additional context on the quote about limited rules.
In Arkansas, there’s a law—Arkansas Code § 6-62-803—that limits how much public universities can use general funds to support their athletics departments. Schools can’t spend more than they did in a prior fiscal school year (with slight adjustments for inflation) or more than 2% of the previous year’s general education budget—whichever is higher. If an athletics program doesn’t bring in enough money to cover its costs, the school has to use a designated student athletic fee, not general tuition or state money, to make up the difference.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Arkansas State is in a healthy place. The department sits in the middle of the pack in most budget and performance metrics within the Sun Belt, but has a tradition of success and championships. On paper, they’ve consistently overachieved with their teams and as a department — and that’s not a bad thing. In fact, it points to a winning culture already in place.
Jonesboro, with a population of about 80,000, is Arkansas’s fifth-largest city, and the university serves as the region’s primary economic driver. While there isn’t a major airport in the city, Memphis is roughly 70 miles away.
There will likely be strong interest in this opening. Fundraising will almost certainly be a key focus for the next AD — especially in efforts to push the department beyond its “average” standing in financial metrics. Still, there’s a formula that clearly works here. A football resurgence could serve as a major revenue catalyst. There’s passion, there’s support — and with the right leader, that could translate into real momentum.
