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Simmons’ contract is a five-year deal worth $300,000 annually.
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- The Willie Simmons era at Florida A&M is officially underway.
It started Tuesday with as much fanfare as a homecoming rally. Simmons was introduced in front of a group of FAMU supporters, athletes, coaches and busloads of people from his home town of Quincy.
With the eyes of dozens of FAMU fans on him, Simmons didn't flinch. He took a deep breath, and after greeting the orange and green-clad fans, simply said, "I'm home."
Simmons, head coach at Prairie View A&M from 2015-2017, has a 21-11 record as a head coach. He’s built a reputation for offensive excellence – the Panthers were third in the SWAC in scoring last season.
FAMU hasn’t had a winning season since 2011 and went 3-8 last season.
“It takes a process to build a program back,” Simmons said. “We have good players here. We have good resources here. We’re working tireless to improve the resources, working tirelessly to recruit the best student athletes we can possibly bring to the Hill.”
Interim Athletic John Eason said Simmons was the top choice of search committee chairman Spurgeon McWilliams, so they two decided to vigorously pursue PVAMU's now-former head coach.
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- For Willie Simmons, coming back to Florida A&M University was simply coming home. Simmons has always been a Rattler. Tuesday's press conference just made it official.
His wife, Shaia, is a Rattler.
His son Tre is a Rattler – freshman class president, actually.
His mother, Phyllis, who died in 2005, was a Rattler. Simmons said his grandmother sent seven of her nine children to FAMU.
Orange and green are in his blood. After he greeted fans at his introductory press conference, he said he was home.
The pull of returning home was too much to resist for Simmons. It was enough to get him to leave Prairie A&M, where A) he was winning and B) the facilities were top-of-the-line.
Shaia, a major force in nudging Simmons back to Tallahassee, was easy to spot Tuesday – she was the one dancing alongside Venom while the Marching 100 played “S.O.S.”
“That reaction hasn’t stopped,” Simmons said with a laugh. “She’s a lifetime Rattler. She bleeds orange and green. She has the utmost respect for this university, for what it’s given her. She’s gotten two degrees from here and she’s working on a third.
WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Thabiti Davis, who spent four years as the wide receivers and special teams coach at Winston-Salem State, has not been retained.
Davis, a former Wake Forest star, received the news through an e-mail from athletics director Tonia Walker last week.
“I got the news the other day via e-mail but there was no reason given for why they let me go,” said Davis, who is a former NFL player from Charlotte. “I definitely don’t understand how or what I did wrong, but like anything else I have to move on and see what’s out there.”
Davis, 42, joined the Rams before the 2014 season, which was Kienus Boulware’s first season as head coach. Boulware moved from defensive coordinator to head coach after the 2013 season.\
Davis said the only contact he’s had from anybody at WSSU was the e-mail from Walker. CONTINUE READING
CHARLESTON, South Carolina – South Carolina State's Bryeasha Blair connected on a short bank shot at the buzzer to lift the Lady Bulldogs to a 60-58 nonconference win over Charleston Southern Monday afternoon.
Junior Dashanique Peterson, in her first start of the season, had 17 points and tied two other teammates for rebounding honors with eight boards in the win. With time running out, the 6-3 Kingstree native grabbed a missed by teammate Kerry Watson and got the ball to Blair for the winning basket as time expired. It was the fifth offensive rebound of the game for Peterson.
New comers Kyesha Lewis – who also got her first start of the season -- and Kemoni Jenkins, both juniors, had 15 points each and eight rebounds apiece for Coach Doug Robertson's team, which improved to 3-4 on the season. Blair, who was in foul trouble most of the game, finished with just six points, including the winning basket.
The host Buccaneers, who dipped to 2-5 with the loss, were paced by Njeri Nelms and Shelby Wilbanks with 20 points each. Wilbanks, who was 10-10 from the free throw line, tied the game 58-58 on a layup with 9.7 seconds left.
After a Lady Bulldog timeout, Watson took the end bounds pass, drove to the basket and put up a shot that was off the mark, and in a fight for the loose ball, Peterson grabbed it and got it to Blair while going out of bounds.
Blair got off the winning shot, however, Robertson and his team had to survive a review of the shot by the officials before coming away with the win.
"It's a good win for our team," Robertson noted. "We had to battle hard all game and were able to come away victorious at the end. I applaud my players for fighting hard all game. We got big games from two players who were starting for the first time, Peterson and Lewis."
Charleston Sothern got off to a 7-3 start and led 16-9 after one. The Lady Bulldogs started the second half with a 12-4 run to grab their first lead, 21-20, on a put back by Peterson with 4:07 left in the half but the host led 29-27 at the break.
The Buccaneers outscored SC State 19-16 in the third period for a 48-43 lead after three quarters, but a 15-6 spree to begin the final stanza staked the Lady Bulldogs to a 58-54 when Lewis canned a 3-pointer and was fouled, however, she missed the opportunity from the line, leaving the SC State lead at four.
Wilbanks got two free throws 2:32 to play and the tying field goal with 9.7 seconds left to tie the game at 58-all before Blair's buzz beater that gave the Lady Bulldogs their third win, all coming on the road.
SC State committed 23 turnovers to 18 for the Buccaneers, but enjoyed a 48-42 advantage on the boards. The Lady Bulldogs made 37.5 percent (24-64) of their shots from the field to 30.8 (20-65) for Charleston Southern which had a 14-21 to 9-15 edge at the charity stripe.
SC State returns to action Saturday when it hosts Western Carolina in the first game of a doubleheader, beginning at 2 p.m. BOX SCORE SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- South Carolina State University is extending head football coach Buddy Pough’s contract by one year, Athletic Director Stacy Danley announced Monday.
The future of Pough at the helm of Bulldog football was called into question after his team went a 3-7 in 2017, the coach’s worst season in 16 years at S.C. State. Danley said in October that a program evaluation was underway and a decision would be made after all games were complete.
“I believe this decision is best for the overall athletics program as we begin to focus on transitioning and move into rebuilding mode,” Danley said via press release from S.C. State Athletic Media Relations. “The nucleus of that rebuilding is our football program.
“Coach Pough holds the record as the second-winningest coach in school history. His winning tradition, extensive relationships throughout the state as well as his familiarity of the program and the MEAC conference all played a role in helping form the decision.”
Pough has agreed to continue as head coach and be part of the rebuilding process, Danley said. CONTINUE READING
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Three weeks following the resignation of Alex Wood, Florida A&M on Monday officially named its new football coach.
Willie Simmons is set to take over for the Rattlers after he resigned from Prairie View A&M (Texas) on Saturday. Simmons takes over a program that in recent seasons has fallen on hard times.
The Rattlers haven't had a winning season since 2011 and were 3-8 last season. FAMU hasn't won more than four games since 2011.
Simmons arrived in Tallahassee over the weekend and was officially named head coach of the football team Monday morning. He'll be introduced at 11 a.m. on Tuesday during a press conference at the Lawson Center.
He met with the team’s existing staff of coaches Monday afternoon. Interim head coach Edwin Pata said the meetings were upbeat – he met with Simmons one-on-one after the staff meeting. CONTINUE READING
JACKSON, Mississippi -- Changes to the Jackson State football staff are on the way.
Co-offensive coordinator and lead recruiter Chad Germany confirmed to the Clarion Ledger Monday morning that he has moved on from JSU, and sources close to the situation say that tight ends coach Ricardo Grant is also leaving the program.
It is unclear whether the two coaches have left JSU for another job or whether they were relieved of their duties.
JSU head coach Tony Hughes declined to comment on the departures, including whether or not the search is currently underway to replace them.
Germany responded to a request for comment via text Monday. He said removing himself from the equation at Jackson State was the right thing to do.
"Coach Hughes is a great man with a great vision for JSU football," he said. "And in no way will I allow myself to hinder the progress of the program. Change is good." CONTINUE READING
