James Colzie III was officially announced by Florida A&M as the head coach of the football team on Monday and details of his contract are already available. According to Jim Henry of the Tallahassee Democrat, Colzie has signed a three-year contract worth $720,000.

The contract includes an escalating base salary, starting at $230,000 in the first year, increasing to $240,000 in the second year, and reaching $250,000 in the third year. The contract goes before approval by the institution's Board of Trustees on February 5th and would go into effect February 6th if approved. Incidentally, National Signing Day is on Wednesday, February 7th.

According to Henry, Colzie has the potential to earn up to $95,000 in annual bonuses. This includes a maximum of $50,000 for winning the Celebration Bowl and an additional $10,000 bonus based on the team's academic performance as per NCAA guidelines. Florida A&M is set to pay $200,000 of Colzie's base salary annually with the institution's foundation making up the difference per the terms of the contract.

Before leaving the Rattlers to join Duke as the running backs coach under new head coach Manny Diaz, Simmons held a substantial contract to lead the program. He signed a five-year, $1.5 million deal with FAMU in December 2017, followed by an extension through 2025 in 2021. For his exceptional 12-1 season with Florida A&M, he received $135,000 in bonuses including a $100,000 bonus for the team's 30-26 victory over Howard in the 2023 Cricket Celebration Bowl.

Colzie is tasked with continuing the growth of the program that the Rattlers enjoyed under the leadership of Simmons. He inherits a program with high expectations, a strong foundation, and a clear supportive fan base that wanted to see him at the helm of the program. With a talented roster of returning players and potential new recruits drawn to FAMU's recent success, Colzie is poised to build upon Simmons's success and attempt to lead the team to even greater heights.