Florid A&M National Alumni Association President Curtis E. Johnson has written a letter to university president Dr. Larry Robinson regarding VP of Athletics Tiffani Dawn-Sykes. The letter was posted by WCTV sports reporter and anchor Alison Posey and directly lists the grievances that were discussed in the National Alumni Association meeting that was held via Zoom on Wednesday evening.
Johnson said in the letter:
“On behalf of the Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University National Alumni Association (FAMU NAA) and many concerned alumni, we are requesting an immediate intervention to mitigate further dissension among key stakeholders.
On Wednesday, January 10th, 2024, at a publicly noticed emergency board meeting there were two (2) Executive Board votes taken on the following motions:
Motion 1: Motion for a vote of no confidence in the hire of the proposed head football coach Mr. Shaw Gibbs. The motion passed by a vote of 19 to 1.
Motion 2: Motion for a vote of no confidence in the ability to lead the Athletics Department at Florida A&M University by AD Tiffani-Dawn Sykes. The motion passed by a vote of 18 to 3.
Four (4) Board members previously announced their abstention from the vote and discussion: Trustee Otis Cliatt, Reginald Mitchell, Tommy Mitchell, and James Moran, Ph.D due to their respective roles within the University and to be fully compliant with state statutes.
The votes of “no confidence” are not taken lightly. The NAA Board received questions and concerns from alumni, heard directly from former players, parents, and alumni, and then took a survey poll of the participants to gain the pulse and sentiment of Rattler Alumni. The poll asked one question: “Are you satisfied with the current leadership of the FAMU Athletic Department?” (579 unique respondents, 91% responded that they were not satisfied and 9% were satisfied.)
As you are aware, the FAMU NAA has demonstrated a pattern of financial support not only for athletics but for all the students attending FAMU. As a result, we have always been at the table to at least contribute input into to the processes of major university hiring decisions. For reason(s) unknown to us, we were completely shut out of this current process leaving many of my members baffled especially after we were asked to support in the raising of funds to support football coaches' compensation. The alumni rallied to the call and raised over $140,000 (in cash – no pledges), in 72 hours, during the Christmas holiday to support the AD's efforts in negotiating with former head Coach Willie Simmons.
President Robinson, we are proud alums that serve faithfully and we have always moved in lockstep until recently to overcome insurmountable odds, therefore the NAA asks that you accept this letter as an invitation to rally the stakeholders together, operate with transparency, and come together as One FAMU to move FAMU Athletics forward. After a winning Championship season and a Celebration Bowl HBCU Championship, we should not be in this position.
Please advise how you would like to proceed to partner on a proactive solution to resolve this matter.“
After former Florida A&M head coach Willie Simmons left on New Year's Day, Sykes announced the start of a search to find the next head football coach. On January 9th, Rattler Nation Blog reported that Gibbs was Sykes's top choice for the position.
Gibbs and Sykes have a professional history that goes back to their time at Grambling University. Sykes served as the Director of Compliance while Gibbs worked as the Running Backs coach under head coach Rod Broadway. In the 2022 season, Gibbs joined Fort Valley State University and led the Wildcats to an impressive 8-2 record. Building on that success, Gibbs guided Fort Valley State to another strong season, going 8-3 and securing a victory in the inaugural Florida Beach Bowl.
The Florida A&M Board of Trustees has scheduled a meeting on Tuesday, January 16th at 1 PM EST. While no agenda has been disclosed, it is expected to focus on the appointment of head coach Shawn Gibbs.
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