FAMU Head Football Coach Willie Simmons has been recognized as one of the top 45 Minority Coaches under 45 to watch for future Division I head-coaching jobs by ESPN.
"Other than Jackson State's Deion Sanders, Simmons is the HBCU coach generating the most buzz for FBS jobs after nearly landing the Florida International gig in December. Simmons is 45-21 as an FCS coach with top-25 finishes in the past two seasons that the Rattlers competed. The former Clemson quarterback has FBS coordinator experience at Middle Tennessee State University.
'I'm a huge Willie Simmons fan,' a Power 5 coach said. 'He's got a tremendous upside.'
Added a Power 5 athletic director: 'I can definitely see him as a Group of 5 head coach as a next step.'"
Rattler football has seen tremendous success under Head Coach Simmons with back-to-back top-25 seasons (2019 and 2021). In 2021, Coach Simmons coached the Rattlers to its first FCS Playoffs appearance in over 20 years.
