On December 16, 2023, Willie Simmons guided his Florida A&M University (FAMU) Rattlers to an HBCU National Championship with a thrilling 30–26 win over the Howard Bison in the Cricket Celebration Bowl. Just over two weeks later, on January 1, 2024, Simmons shocked many by stepping down as FAMU’s head coach to take on the role of running backs coach at Duke University.
The announcement rippled across social media, stirring confusion and speculation. Why would a championship-winning head coach at an FCS powerhouse take a position coach role at an FBS school? Why not stay and defend the title? And why Duke—a university more renowned for basketball than football? The questions reflected the surprise and skepticism from fans and followers across the HBCU landscape. Many questioned whether Simmons was making the right move. Several podcasts questioned and even laughed at the move.
What wasn’t known publicly at the time was that Simmons had been receiving strong encouragement from an influential circle of friends and mentors—including coaching giants like Dabo Swinney, Manny Diaz, and Nick Saban. Their advice aligned with Willie Simmons’ long-term aspiration: to eventually become a head coach at the FBS level. Though the timing seemed unusual to outsiders, for Simmons, the moment was right.
Lack of minority coaches was a factor in Simmons’ decision
“It’s been well documented about the lack of minority head football coaches at the FBS level, and after speaking to my mentors and other prominent figures in the profession, I was advised that the best chance for me to become one of the few was to get P4 coaching experience,” Simmons said…