January 28, 2024
James Colzie III Named Head Football Coach at Florida A&M
Florida A&M University didn't have to look very far for its new head football coach.
Florida A&M University has ended its search for a head football coach to replace Willie Simmons now Duke University’s running back coach. WCTV reports the university has promoted James Colzie III from interim coach to head coach
Colzie, who served as a defensive assistant at FAMU in 2022, boasts extensive coaching experience and a championship background. He was a cornerback on Florida State University’s 1993 national championship team.
“I am eternally grateful to President Robinson and our Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Tiffani-Dawn Sykes for their confidence in me,” Colzie said in a release. “It’s truly an honor to join names like William Bell, Jake Gaither, Rudy Hubbard, Billy Joe, and Willie Simmons to hold the illustrious title of Head Football Coach at Florida A&M, and I am ready to do my part of carrying on the tradition of this storied university as the #1 public HBCU in the country.”
Simmons won 45 games in six years at Florida A&M University and never had a losing season. He also led the program to its first HBCU National Championship in 2023.
The university had faced calls to pause its coaching search from boosters at the school who felt as though their voices were not being heard in the hiring process.
The president of FAMU Rattlers Boosters Inc., Selvin Cobb, believed Sykes wanted Fort Valley State’s Shawn Gibbs to replace Simmons. In a letter to the Tallahassee Democrat Cobb said Dykes refused to even look at other candidates.
“There has been no presentation of other highly qualified candidates being considered,” Cobb wrote. “Therefore, the Boosters are requesting that you suspend any further head coach search activity until the Athletic Director addresses the university community on this subject. We also request that major stakeholders are represented in the official Search Committee process for the Football Coach by you appointing an official Search Committee that can keep stakeholders abreast and provide discussion forums about the candidates.”
In the end, Sykes and the committee went with Colzie, who fans, alumni, and the boosters wanted all along.
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