FAMU’s Vice President and Director of Athletics Tiffani-Dawn Sykes announced Monday that head coach Willie Simmons will be leaving the program to become an assistant coach with the Duke Blue Devils.
“At 2 p.m. today, Coach Simmons submitted, and I accepted his resignation letter as he has chosen to pursue another opportunity,” Sykes said via Zoom call.
Simmons, who just led the Rattlers to their first Black College National Championship in over two decades, will serve as running backs coach for Duke under the leadership of head football coach Manny Diaz. Both Simmons and Diaz crossed paths in the early 2000s while coaching together at Middle Tennessee State. Simmons oversaw the running backs, while Diaz controlled the defense at the time. Then a decade later, Diaz’s son Colin began his coaching career on the campus of Florida A&M as a graduate assistant under Simmons.
While FAMU’s athletic director did not go into detail on why the Tallahassee-native chose to resign, many fans speculate the decision may have had something to do with money or the lack thereof.
HAPPY 2024 RATTLERS! We are so grateful for you. Your dedication to Florida A&M University is something to BRAGG about. May you all take that same energy into a very prosperous 2024! Thanks to you, the FAMU NAA has raised OVER $138,353.00!
— FAMU National Alumni (@FAMUNationalAA) January 1, 2024
To Donate: https://t.co/M6t8soVgJN pic.twitter.com/ko9eeBVlLk
On Friday, Sykes asked the university’s Alumni Association to rally together to raise $25,000 to assist in the “compensation” of FAMU’s football coaches. While the alumni group shattered the goal by six figures, FAMU was unable to keep the coach for another season.
“He’s [Coach Simmons] made it very clear that the recent commitment to retain and support him will be very necessary for our program to sustain this level of success,” said FAMU’s Sykes. I appreciate him advancing those efforts to ensure the long-term success of our program even with his departure.”
Since 2018, Simmons secured 45 wins, including an FCS playoff berth, a Southwestern Athletic Conference title, and an HBCU national trophy. On X (formerly Twitter), Simmons thanked FAMU staff members and his players for their support over the years.
— Coach Willie Simmons (@HCWillieSimmons) January 1, 2024
“My deepest gratitude is to the young men I’ve been blessed to lead,” Simmons wrote. “These young men are our future leaders, and I am proud of the great professionals, husbands, fathers and community advocates they are destined to become.”
According to Sykes, the university will be moving forward with its current cornerbacks coach James Colzie III as the new interim head coach. The athletics department has begun its search for its next permanent coach for the 2024 football season.