Florida A&M Football Articles - Page 3

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders says he wants to help Florida A&M determine their next head coach. The former Jackson State head coach who departed the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) in December of 2022 to coach the Buffaloes offered his list of coaches in his network that he believed could handle the job in a […]

The Florida A&M Rattlers are set to lose another coach as Murray State hires away defensive coordinator Ryan Smith, according to Football Scoop. Smith was an FCS Coordinator of the Year Finalist as he constructed one of the best defenses in the SWAC. Instead of returning to Tallahassee, Jody Wright, the head coach for Murray […]

The Florida A&M head coaching search is set to continue. Florida A&M Vice President of Athletics Tiffani Dawn-Sykes announced that she will be allowing a currently unspecified search firm to assist in choosing who will serve as the 19th head coach of the football program following the departure of Willie Simmons to Duke University. Florida […]

Fort Valley State athletic director Dr. Renee Myles Payne announced via the Fort Valley State University Sports Twitter/X page that current head coach Shawn Gibbs has renewed his contract with the institution. The announcement comes a week after news circulated that Gibbs was the leading candidate to replace departed Florida A&M head coach Willie Simmons, […]

The Florida A&M coaching search that started with the departure of Willie Simmons has commanded the attention of the greater HBCU sports world. The drama of potential coaching hires and alumni frustration at Vice President of Athletics Tiffani Dawn-Sykes has dominated conversations amongst HBCU football enthusiasts. But, often lost in the talk is Simmons’s move […]

Days after Shawn Gibbs was rumored to be the frontrunner to replace Willie Simmons as head coach of Florida A&M, current interim head coach James Colzie III still remains determined and willing to assume the position. Per comments obtained by the Tallahassee Democrat, Colzie is still optimistic that he’ll get the job. “You hope at […]

Tevin Griffey, former Florida A&M defensive back and son of MLB icon Ken Griffey Jr, is transferring from FAMU to Boise State. Griffey entered the transfer portal on Dec. 21, shortly before FAMU head coach Willie Simmons left for an opportunity at Duke University. Griffey will be joining a Boise State team that dominated the […]

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 […]

Amid the coaching drama surrounding the departure of Willie Simmons from Florida A&M, Director of Recruiting Devin Rispress has exited the program to join Deion Sanders at Colorado. Rispress announced the move via his social media on Thursday evening. “It has been said that sometimes life comes at you fast… and I feel that wholeheartedly. […]

Following the controversy surrounding the impending hire of current Fort Valley State head football coach Shawn Gibbs, the Florida A&M National Alumni Association filed a vote of no confidence in Athletic Director Tiffani Dawn-Sykes by a vote of 18-3. The meeting was held via Zoom on Wednesday evening and alumni expressed their grievances with the […]

Mike Elko was named the coach of Texas A&M in November but the aftereffects of his departure from Duke are certainly being felt in the HBCU world. The notion that Elko’s appointment as the head coach of the Aggies, now SEC competitors, is laughable at first thought. But, as you look at the confluence of […]

Florida A&M star receiver Marcus Riley recently declared for the 2024 NFL Draft. Riley announced his decision with an extensive post on his ‘X’ page. Amongst gratitude to his support system and former schools of Louisville and Bethune-Cookman, Riley spent a considerable portion of the post thanking his “FAMUly.” “To my Tallahassee FAMUly, I want […]

Florida A&M star quarterback Jeremy Moussa has declared for the 2024 NFL Draft. Moussa announced his decision to declare for the NFL Draft via his social media accounts. Ready for what’s next. Thank you to everyone who has helped me along my journey! pic.twitter.com/UG1CawxY1p — Moose (@jeremy_moussa) January 4, 2024 Moussa was a game-changer in […]

Willie Simmons shocked the HBCU world when he departed Florida A&M to become running back coach at Duke University. Although Florida A&M fans as well as HBCU football fans in general are confounded by the move, Simmons has been met with almost unanimous love and support for his future. However, the support for the departing […]

Willie Simmons’ departure stings Florida A&M again as multiple transfers from Florida State have de-committed from the school. Running back Rodney Hill and offensive lineman Qae’Shon Sapp re-opened their recruitment statuses following Simmons’ decision to leave Florida A&M to become the running backs coach at Duke. “After much consideration, I would like to announce I […]

Florida A&M is searching for a new coach after Willie Simmons departed for Duke University, and Fred McNair could be next in line for the Rattlers. After much speculation, Simmons agreed to join Duke head coach Manny Diaz’s staff as the running backs coach. In his wake, Simmons left a talented roster that just won […]

Tiffani-Dawn Sykes, the Athletic Director of Florida A&M, confirmed the recent news of head football Coach Willie Simmons resigning today via Zoom. According to Sykes, Coach Simmons submitted his resignation letter at 2 pm and has decided to pursue an opportunity at Duke University as the program’s running backs coach. In the interim, James Colzie […]

It’s official, Willie Simmons is leaving his position as head coach at Florida A&M to become running backs coach at Duke University under new Blue Devils football coach Manny Diaz. The university announced the departure via a short press conference headed by Vice President of Athletics Tiffani Dawn-Sykes as well as an official announcement. Following […]

Florida A&M head coach Willie Simmons is leaving Florida A&M to become running backs coach at Duke University, per a report by ESPN college football writer Adam Rittenberg. “Florida A&M coach Willie Simmons is expected to leave to become running backs coach at Duke under Manny Diaz. Simmons went 12-1 this year at FAMU, which […]

Amid rumors of a potential offer from Duke University, Florida A&M alumni have banded together to keep head coach Willie Simmons a Rattler for the foreseeable future. On Dec. 28, HBCU YouTuber personality Scottay of Offscript TV reported rumors that Duke wanted to hire Simmons as their running backs coach. The report garnered lots of […]

Florida A&M’s Willie Simmons guided his team to a Celebration Bowl earlier this month and now has a Power Five opportunity waiting for him. Willie Simmons has reportedly been offered the position of Running Backs coach at Duke University under new head coach Manny Diaz. Diaz was hired in early December, replacing former Blue Devils […]

Florida A&M just won the 2023 Celebration Bowl and they’re already putting themselves in a position to defend their title as the Black College Football National Champions. The Rattlers have garnered significant recruiting wins this off-season, getting a few talented FBS-to-FCS transfers that can prove to be productive as they look to continue domination in […]

Florida A&M continues to get big wins on the recruiting trail as they announce that they’ve landed former Florida State defensive back Demorie Tate. Florida A&M announced the commitment on their social media accounts. 🚨 𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗡𝗘𝗗 🚨 Rattlers signed defensive back Demorie Tate from Florida State. Tate was a five star cornerback coming out of […]

The Celebration Bowl between Florida A&M and Howard University marked the end of another HBCU football season full of top-tier performances, rivalries renewed, and discourse about the future of the sport at the black college level. Florida A&M found themselves victorious in a 30-26 game over the Bison and claimed the title of the 2023 […]

Florida A&M landed a big-time transfer hours after winning the 2023 Celebration Bowl over Howard University. Former Clemson Tight End Sage Ennis committed to the Rattlers, returning to his home state to play for the team of his former high school coach and current Albany State coach Quinn Gray. I’m Coming Home‼️ #OurTime@HCWillieSimmons @TheCaseyWarming @Coach2Bless […]

Flordia A&M’s 30-26 victory over Howard in the Cricket Celebration Bowl drew the attention of several in the sports world, including Chad Ochocinco and Deion Sanders. Ochosinco, a vocal supporter of Florida A&M as well as an official ambassador for the program, shouted out the Rattlers for their victory on the “Nightcap” live podcast program […]

Florida A&M had a near-perfect football season and rapper Plies believes that they should get more respect for it. Plies took to his Twitter/X to show FAMU major love as a football power in the state, saying, “Dear @FAMU_FB With This Transfer Portal Y’all Should Easily Be Apart Of The BIG 3 In The State!! […]

The Celebration Bowl is this Saturday as the Howard University Bison and the Florida A&M Rattlers (FAMU) go to battle inside of Mercedes-Benz Stadium and are renewing a heated rivalry from their time in the MEAC. Many are jokingly referring to this as the “MEAC Bowl” because of Howard being in the MEAC and FAMU […]

This coming Saturday, Dec. 16, the Florida A&M Rattlers will take on the Howard Bison in the Cricket Celebration Bowl. The Celebration Bowl, which began in 2015, pits the champions from the MEAC and SWAC against each other, with the winner being recognized as the champion of HBCU football. Last season, North Carolina Central won […]

Vice President Kamala Harris will be in attendance at the 2023 Cricket Celebration Bowl on Saturday, per a report by the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Tia Mitchell. Harris is a known HBCU supporter, having graduated from Howard University in 1986 with a Bachelor’s in Political Science and Economics. Harris has long been a champion of HBCU […]

It is the eighth edition of the Cricket Celebration Bowl as Howard faces Florida A&M. It is time to continue our College Football odds series with a Cricket Celebration Bowl Howard-Florida A&M prediction, pick, and how-to-watch. The Celebration Bowl began in 2015 between the HBCU conferences of the SWAC and the MEAC. The game has […]

With a 35-14 victory against the Prairie View A&M Panthers, the Florida A&M Rattlers secure their first SWAC Championship in school history and move on to the Celebration Bowl. Many expected the Rattlers to win as they had demolished the Panthers earlier in the year, 45-7. The Celebration Bowl is set! Howard and Florida A&M […]

Florida A&M is hosting the SWAC Championship this year after a stellar season and they are expected to bring in a huge payday per a report by WCTV. Florida Vice President of Advancement Shawnta Friday-Stroud spoke about the big gains of having the game in Bragg, saying, “We’re going to be bringing people here from […]

After an incredibly successful season, Florida A&M Rattlers head football coach Willie Simmons was named the SWAC Coach of the Year. 🚨 𝗦𝗪𝗔𝗖 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 🚨 Coach Simmons has been named the SWAC Coach of the Year after leading the Rattlers to an undefeated conference record, the #1 defense in the nation, and […]

Following the conclusion of the season, the SWAC has released their All-Conference first and second-team selections. The list comes after all-conference honors were released in advance of the SIAC Championship game between Florida A&M and Prairie View A&M. The SWAC All-Conference Selections are below. 2023 All-SWAC Football Team Selections  All-SWAC First-Team Offense Quarterback: Jeremy Moussa, Florida A&M Running […]

The Florida A&M Rattlers rattle off their ninth straight victory with a 24-7 win against the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats in the Florida Blue Florida Classic. The Rattlers end the year 10-1 as they prepare to compete for the SWAC Championship. Meanwhile, Bethune-Cookman finishes with a 3-8 record, a slight improvement from the 2-9 record last season. […]

As the end of the season has neared, a tremendous debate has broken out in the HBCU community about if Florida A&M head coach Willie Simmons or Jackson State head coach T.C. Taylor is the coach of the year in the SWAC. There have been some coaches, such as Alabama State’s Eddie Robinson Jr., that […]

Florida A&M alumnus Markquese Bell has been stepping up for the Dallas Cowboys this season, turning into a defensive star for America’s team. Bell went undrafted out of FAMU in 2022 but found a home with the Dallas Cowboys. His play has helped maintain a dominant defense for the Cowboys, as they work through the […]

HERO Sports recently released the 2023 regular season attendance figures for all FCS member schools. Once again, Jackson State led all of FCS in attendance, bringing in more fans on average than second-ranked Montana State. However, several other HBCUs were also featured on the list with prominent attendance numbers. Flordia A&M, Southern, Alabama State, and […]