Florida A&M head basketball coach Patrick Crarey II reacted to the departure of Tiffani-Dawn Sykes as Vice President and Director of Athletics earlier this week. Crarey, who was recruited and hired by Sykes, posted a heartfelt message about her on X.
“Forever grateful to @Tiffani_Sykes for believing in me. My first opportunity on the D1 level. A true 💎, I’ll make you proud,” he posted.
Crarey was hired by Florida A&M in April following the departure of former coach Robert McCollum. However, not long after he accepted the role, rumors began circulating about Crarey releasing 16 players from the team and suspending them from their scholarships. The board also showed concerns about Crarey hosting practices before his contract was approved. However, Sykes confirmed that these practices did not violate NCAA standards as he signed a voluntary employment agreement.
She defended Crarey's appointment, emphasizing his alignment with the university's strategic priorities. “I wholeheartedly believe that this is the person to lead our program forward at this time. I know he can do the job,” Sykes affirmed. Attempts to address NCAA policy concerns were also clarified, noting that Crarey's previous volunteer employment agreement complied with regulations.
As a result, in June, the Florida A&M University Board of Trustees halted the approval of his 3-year contract until August. He evently was approved for a one-year, $150,000 contract to lead the team. Florida A&M has hopes that Crarey will lead the struggling men’s basketball team in a better direction. The team hopes to return from records of 7-22 and 6-23.
Crarey has seen success as the head basketball coach at St. Thomas University with a 61-27 record and back-to-back NAIA appearances. He has also brought LeBrent Walker and Fred Lymas on board as his assistant coaches. He's also taken steps to bolster the team’s success by signing Shaqir O’Neal, son of Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, after he entered the transfer portal from Texas Southern University.
“Shaqir has played in one of the premier programs in our conference and for a great head coach,” said Crarey. “He brings versatility, athleticism, and experience to our team.”
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