Who is Alex Atkins? What we know about the FSU coach at the center of Seminoles' NIL-related violations

Alex Atkins is at the center of the Florida State infraction case which recently got the school sanctioned. The Seminoles were issued significant penalties by the NCAA on Thursday for Level II infarction after the university and the governing body were able to reach a negotiated resolution.

Florida State was handed a couple of sanctions, including two years of probation and one season of dissociating with its NIL collective. This NCAA sanction revolves around Atkins and a booster’s attempt to facilitate the transfer of a player from Georgia.

Who is Alex Atkins?

Alex Atkins is a fast-rising name in the world of college football. Following his playing career as an offensive lineman at UT Martin, he started his coaching career at his alma mater in 2007 as a graduate assistant before he was made the tight end coach in 2008.

He moved to Marshall as a graduate assistant in 2009 and took on the roles of offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at Itawamba Community College in 2010. His coaching journey continued in 2012 and 2013 when he served as the offensive line coach for Chattanooga.

The Chicago-born coach joined Georgia Southern in 2014 and spent two seasons with the program. He continued his coaching career at Tulane in 2016, serving a couple of roles before moving to Charlotte in 2019. Atkins would team up with Mike Norvell after he was hired as FSU head coach in 2020.

Alex Atkins linked to Washington job

Despite the infraction case and sanction, Alex Atkins is a potential candidate for the head coaching job opening at Washington. After leading the team to the national championship game, Kalen DeBoer has moved on to replace the retired Nick Saban at Alabama.

Atkins is acquainted with Washington’s athletic director Troy Dannen, as he previously served as Tulane’s offensive line and assistant head coach from 2016 to 2018. His pivotal role in Florida State’s turnaround and their undefeated regular season in 2023 has boosted his profile.

He notably took over one of the weakest offensive lines in the Power Five after arriving at Tallahassee and transformed it into a highly proficient group. In 2022, he also assumed coordinator duties, showcasing his ability to contribute to multiple facets of the team.

Alex Atkins is set to face a suspension for the first three games of the 2024 regular season and has been issued a two-year show-cause penalty. A show-cause order mandates that any school looking to hire Atkins must provide an explanation to the NCAA.