Holmes looks to build Rattlers staff at Florida A&M

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  --  Weeks before he was named head football coach at FAMU on Friday, Earl Holmes began evaluating the other assistants who worked with him under retired Joe Taylor to see who might be retained.

While he spent Saturday with a group of visiting recruits, Holmes said he will move expeditiously to fill any opening that might be created through his evaluations. His hire makes him he 16th head football coach.

Holmes, 39, is in his first head-coaching job and will earn $200,000 annually after his contract is approved by FAMU’s Board of Trustees next month.

He already knows that he will have to find an offensive coordinator to replace Lawrence Kershaw. He has taken a head-coaching job at Fayetteville State, a Division II program in North Carolina.

Holmes, whose fearless style as a 10-year linebacker in the NFL earned him the nickname “Hit Man,” said he’d like to have a staff that can teach his players how to play aggressively. During his introduction speech, Holmes said he intends to have a staff made up of assistants with high school and NFL coaching experience.

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