Photo: FAMU Men's Basketball Coach Eugene HarrisTALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Former Florida State player Eugene Harris was hired as the men's basketball coach at Florida A&M, today. University president James Ammons said Harris' contract would be a four-year deal, though the details were still being finalized.
The Tallahassee Democrat has reported this afternoon that Harris contract was approved this morning by teleconference by the FAMU Board of Trustees for a period of four years at a salary of $155,000 per year.
Harris succeeds Mike Gillespie, who is now serving a year's probation after a no contest plea to stalking a former girlfriend. Gillespie coached six seasons for the Rattlers and took the school to the NCAA tournament on two occasions. FAMU went 21-13 last season and made the NCAA tournament, losing to Niagara in the opening round game.
"My goal and my job is to take it to the next level," Harris said. "To win games in the NCAA tournament and go on to the Sweet 16."
Although he has spent most of his coaching career as an assistant in collegiate circles, Harris also coached high school basketball in Tallahassee and Alabama.
Harris played for coach Hugh Durham at Florida State and scored 956 career points. He was a three-year starter and co-captain of a team that won the Metro Conference in 1978.
"Once a Seminole now a Rattler," athletic director Nelson Townsend said as he introduced Harris. "These are no ordinary times and we didn't go looking for any ordinary coach."
Harris, a 1973 Scottsboro High graduate, has had college coaching stops at South Alabama, Clemson, Auburn and Alabama and was formally recently hired for the new staff for coach Rob Barnes at Georgia State. Coach Harris spent last basketball season as the head coach at Smiths Station High School near Auburn.
"I'm very excited. I think (the FAMU men's basketball players) are excited, too," FAMU Athletic Director Nelson Townsend told the The Tallahassee Democrat.
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