Florida A&M promotes James Colzie III from interim to head coach

After weeks of uncertainty, Florida A&M University is naming James Colzie III as the next head football coach for the 2024 season. FAMU announced Colzie’s promotion from interim to permanent head coach Saturday evening.

“I am thrilled to announce Coach James Colzie Ill as our new head football coach,” FAMU Vice President and Director of Athletics Tiffani-Dawn Sykes said in a released statement.

The decision comes amid recent complaints from university stakeholders who said the hiring process was taking too long and they felt they were being left out of important discussions regarding who the next head coach would be.

FAMU's Sykes, met the intended hire deadline of Feb. 7th, something that she and other university officials set last week. But thanks to the help of a private search firm, everyone can now breathe a sigh of relief.

“Coach Colzie’s dedication as interim head coach and now as our permanent leader exemplifies his commitment to excellence," said Sykes.

Colzie is now the Rattlers’ 19th head coach. He served on FAMUs defensive coaching staff under former head coach, Willie Simmons. He helped lead the Rattlers to their first Black College National title in over two decades. Before joining FAMU, Colzie served as head coach for Saint Mary University in Canada, where he went 23-19 from 2016-2022.

The Rattlers going with Colzie led to a mixed response on social media from fans and players alike.

Reaction to FAMU hiring James Colzie III
"I hope he does well since he is who the players and fans wanted even though the AD wanted to hire someone else," read one comment under the university's Instagram post.