FAMU's new coach hopes to reignite Rattlers' basketball

Tallahassee, FL -- Clemon Johnson, a Monticello native who set records at Florida A&M and also wears an NBA championship ring, finally experienced a homecoming Tuesday afternoon that was in the making for 18 years.

With about 200 Florida A&M fans looking on with the Marching 100 and cheerleaders as the backdrop at the Lawson Center, Johnson was introduced as the new men's head basketball coach. He hugged little children, signed autographs and took countless photographs, then pronounced himself ready to rebuild the program that had foundered as a bottom tier team in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference for the past four years.

At the same time, Johnson was at the University of Alaska Fairbanks gaining experience that he said will help him make the Rattlers winners. He was hoping to...



Rattlers welcome home Clemon Johnson

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (May 31) - Florida A&M University welcomed home one of its favorite sons to lead the men's basketball program today at the Al Lawson Jr. Multipurpose Center and Teaching Gymnasium. Clemon Johnson, was officially presented to alumni, fans and family at a pep rally and press conference in his honor. The world-famous Marching "100" and the MEAC Co-ed Champions Cheerleaders were on hand to add to the excitement.

Johnson was a star basketball player for the Rattlers from 1974-1978. He was an All-SIAC and All-American selection his senior year at FAMU, with several of his records still standing to this day. Johnson went on to a solid career in the NBA, winning a world championship with the Philadelphia 76ers. He later started coaching in the high school ranks, before being hired at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks

FAMU interim Sports Information Director, Vaughn Wilson, presided over the event. FAMU Director of Athletics, Derek Horne, gave the welcome from the FAMU Athletic Department and FAMU President, Dr. James H. Ammons, welcomed the crowd of about 300 people to the event and introduced new head basketball coach Clemon Johnson.

Horne, was excited to have the search completed and a Rattler hired to guide the team. "It's a great day for not only FAMU, but our athletic department. We have an alum coming back to the hill that we think will do a great job for us," said Horne.

Ammons, was emphatic about doing what it takes to regain championship composure for the basketball program. An emphatic Ammons said, " We wanted someone who could come back and ignite that old Rattler spirit. When you think about Rattler sports, you immediately think about some of the great student-athletes who have been a part of this campus. You think of Althea Gibson, Bob Hayes and legendary coach Jake Gaither. Then, when you think about basketball, you think about Clemon Johnson."


Videographer: FAMUTube1887

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Running past the Rattlers

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Junior Rotnei Clarke and sophomore Marshawn Powell led the University of Arkansas men's basketball team with 14 points each to a convincing, 94-55, victory over the Florida A&M Rattlers at Bud Walton Arena on Wednesday night.

The Razorbacks improve to 16-9 on the year while Florida A&M falls to 11-15. The Hogs end their non-conference schedule 10-0 at Bud Walton Arena this season.

"I am certainly happy to close out our non-conference schedule that way," Arkansas head coach John Pelphrey said. "Florida A&M had won four straight games and was playing their best basketball of the season. I thought that our defense played well in the first half and that the team was unselfish across the board. It was nice to be able to play everybody."



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Robinson, FAMU Rattlers score big

Florida A&M senior guard Leslie Robinson was recruited as the heir apparent to former shooting guard Terrance Woods, the school's most prolific 3-point shooter. Robinson has played that part in the second half of the season as the Rattlers fight for one of the top five seeds in the upcoming MEAC Tournament.

Robinson connected from behind the arc six times and scored a game-high 25 points in leading the Rattlers past the visiting Winston-Salem State Rams 68-61 at Gaither Gymnasium on Saturday.

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SC State overpowers FAMU Lady Rattlers

Photo: Guard Taniyah Dawson scored 13 poinst, 3 assists and 3 rebounds in 38 minutes of action against the SCSU Lady Bulldogs. Dawson is a 5-7 junior from Poteet H.S., Mesquite, Texas, majoring in Pharmacy at FAMU.

Super-sub Marie Reid came off the bench for 23 points to power South Carolina State to a 74-63 win over Florida A&M Monday night in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference contest at Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center. Reid, a transfer from Memphis, has come off the bench to lead the Lady Bulldogs in scoring in four of the last five games and has averaged 24 points in three consecutive contests, two of which Coach Tonya Mackey's team has been victorious.

The visiting Lady Rattlers were led by Q'Vaunda Curry with 20 points and eight rebounds. Stephanie Foster added 15 points and Taniyah Dawson 13 in the loss, which dropped FAMU to 10-10 overall and 1-7 in the league.

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FAMU simply had no answer for Lady Bulldog 6-4/210 sophomore center Marie Reid who hit 9 of 15 shots, 6 of 8 free throws and nabbed 4 rebounds. The Lady Rattlers are currently 10-10, 1-7 MEAC with nine remaining conference games. Seven of the nine games are at home in Gaither Gymnasium so we need to make that run starting with Saturday's home game with conference leader North Carolina A&T (15-5, 8-0 MEAC).

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FAMU narrows search for men's basketball coach to final five

By Heath A. Smith, Tallahassee Democrat

The search for Florida A&M's next men's basketball coach has been narrowed to a list of five finalists.

University of Michigan assistant coach Jerry Dunn, Mississippi State assistant coach Robert Kirby, Georgia State assistant coach Eugene Harris, Chipola Junior College coach Greg Heiar and former Colorado assistant men's basketball coach Paul Graham are expected to be interviewed for the position in person or by phone this week, according to FAMU Athletic Director Nelson Townsend.

"No one has been contacted yet," Townsend said. "We have some very good candidates."

Townsend said he expects to meet the self-imposed Sept. 15 deadline to name a new coach. FAMU fired Mike Gillespie Sr., the university's coach for the past six years, last month.

"I feel confident that we'll be on time," Townsend said. "We have not set an interview schedule yet."

The seven-member search committee met for three hours Saturday after going through the resumes of more than 50 applicants last week, according to state Sen. Al Lawson, who is on the committee.

Lawson said each committee member chose a list of 10 applicants to be voted on by the committee Saturday.

Each applicant from that pool who received two votes from the committee moved on to the next round of votes until the list was paired down to five finalists.

Lawson said that in addition to picking the five finalists, the committee made a motion that he be a part of the interviewing process along with Townsend and FAMU President James Ammons.