5 Names To Watch In FIU Football Head Coach Search

Five names who can potentially become the next head coach at FIU

Florida A&M Rattlers head coach Willie Simmons celebrates his team s victory over the Bethune Cookman Wildcats at Camping World Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023. / Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat / USA TODAY NETWORK

On Sunday, FIU football head coach Mike MacIntyre was fired after three consecutive 4-8 seasons. Now, it's time to find a new voice to lead an FIU team looking to return to being competitive in 2025.

Tim Harris Jr. - UCF Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers Coach

The former FIU OC was a hot name in the original coaching search that led to the hiring of MacIntyre. During his time at FIU, Harris was the running backs coach and was later promoted to offensive coordinator in 2021.

After leaving FIU, Harris went to UCF to become the team's co-offensive coordinator and running backs coach. In 2021, the Knights posted a 9-4 record and defeated the Florida Gators in the Gasparilla Bowl. In 2022, the Knights went 9-5, but falling to Duke in the Military Bowl.

Harris left UCF for Miami in 2023 to become the team's running backs coach. The Hurricanes went 7-6, losing to Rutgers in the Pinstripe Bowl. The Hurricanes averaged 173.2 rushing yards per game that season, seventh in the ACC.

Well known in the South Florida area, Harris would be able to recruit and potentially even retain talent.

Willie Simmons - Duke Running Backs Coach

A name who also received some attention during FIU's last head coach search, Simmons spent six seasons as the head coach at Florida A&M where he led the program to a 45-13 record which included four straight nine win seasons, two trips to the HBCU national championship, SWAC championship and Celebration Bowl berth in 2023, his final season with the program.

Simmons has only been with the Duke program for a season. The Blue Devils went 9-3, finishing fourth in the ACC.

For Simmons. Joining FIU would mark his first ever FBS head coaching job. It would be in an area that he's familiar with and along with that, he has a long track record of winning at the FCS level at a consistent level.

Frank Ponce - Appalachian State Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks

Ponce, an FIU grad and former FIU assistant coach under Mario Cristobal, has coached at both the high school and collegiate level in the state of Florida. That includes notable stops at Coral Gables Senior High, Miami Senior High and Coral Reef Senior High, Miami Northwestern, and Miami Central.

At the collegiate  level, Ponce began his coaching career at FIU as the wide receivers coach from 2007-2012. During that time, Ponce would be crucial to the development of T.Y. Hilton who is one of four receivers to have over 1,000 receiving yards in a single-season.

Ponce is currently in his third stint as App State offensive coordinator. He also briefly spent time on staff at Miami and Louisville.

In 2023, Ponce returned to Boone as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. The Mountaineers went 9-5, reaching the Sun Belt title game, losing to Troy by a final score of 49-23, but defeating Miami of Ohio in the Cure Bowl. Quarterback Joey Aguilar was named Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year and Cure Bowl MVP. He broke the program's single-season record for touchdown passes and passing yards. This past season, Appalachian State underperformed, going 5-6, finishing fourth in total offense.

James Coley - Georgia Assistant Head Coach/Wide Receivers Coach

A Miami native, Coley has been all around South Florida, coaching from the high school ranks to even becoming the Miami Dolphins offensive analyst in 2005-06. He is another former FIU who was with the program in 2007 as the teams offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach.

Coley has made other stops in LSU, Florida State, University of Miami, Texas A&M and most recently Georgia.

Scott Frost - Los Angeles Rams Senior Football Analyst

This would be the dream hire for FIU. In his first season with UCF, they went 6-7, losing to Arkansas State in the Cure Bowl. In 2017, Frost led the Knights to a 12-0 record, winning the American Athletic Conference championship and was named coach of the year. They beat Auburn in the Peach Bowl by a final score of 34-27.

He didn't find much success at Nebraska, going 16-31. He was fired three games into the 2022 season. He's been with the Los Angeles Rams since then.

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