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New FIU head coach Willie Simmons weighed in on Jackson State winning the 2024 Cricket Celebration Bowl 28-7 over South Carolina State. Simmons recently led the Florida A&M Rattlers to a SWAC Championship and Celebration Bowl victory last season, breaking the MEAC's five-game winning streak in the contest.
“Congratulations to Jackson State and HC T.C. Taylor on winning the 2024 Cricket Celebration Bowl! I look forward to putting the red jacket on him next year just as NC Central HC Trei Oliver put mine on today! I also want to give a huge shout out to JSU AD Ashley Robinson as well! Because he took a chance on me 10 years ago, I’m where I am today!”
Simmons started his head coaching career at Prairie View A&M University, where Ashley Robinson was the athletic director. In his time at Prairie View A&M he led them to three consecutive winning seasons. He also coached the Panthers to become one of the most explosive offenses in the SWAC at 44.9 points per game in his first season.
He joined Florida A&M in 2018, guiding the Rattlers to winning seasons each year he's been at the helm of the program. He is 45-13 in his tenure at FAMU and led the Rattlers during a transition from the Mideastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) to the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). Florida A&M has only lost two games since the move to the SWAC, both to the Deion Sanders-led Jackson State Tigers in 2021 (7-5) and 2022 (59-3).
In Simmons's final season, Florida A&M finished 12-1 and won the SWAC Championship over Prairie View A&M. Simmons then led the Rattlers to a 30-26 Celebration Bowl victory over the Howard University Bison. Weeks later, Simmons was hired as Duke University's running back coach. The Blue Devils went 9-3 on the season.
As Simmons begins his tenure at Florida Internation, he proves once against he is still a supporter of HBCU football.
