G5 Football Daily

FIU To Hire Willie Simmons As Program's Next Head Coach

Kevin Barral

Florida A&M football Willie Simmons talks to campers following his RAC BOYZ 2.0 7-on-7 Camp at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida, Saturday, June 10, 2023
Florida A&M football Willie Simmons talks to campers following his RAC BOYZ 2.0 7-on-7 Camp at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida, Saturday, June 10, 2023 / Gerald Thomas / USA TODAY NETWORK
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After a search that lasted six days, FIU will hire Duke running backs coach Willie Simmons to become the seventh head coach in program history. He will replace Mike MacIntyre, who was fired on December first after three seasons with the program. It's a four-year deal for the program's newest head coach.

Simmons was interviewed for FIU’s head coaching job in 2022 before MacIntyre was ultimately hired. This will mark Simmons' first head coaching job at the FBS level.

Simmons began his coaching career at Lincoln High School, based in Tallahassee, where he was the pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach. His first job at the collegiate level was as a grad assistant with Clemson, his alma mater.

After a three-year stint at Middle Tennessee State as the pass game coordinator and running backs coach from 2007-09, he was promoted to become the team's offensive coordinator in 2011.

Prior to his first head coaching gig, he joined Alcorn State's staff as an offensive coordinator and running backs coach. Simmons took the head coach job at Prairie View A&M in 2015 where in two seasons, he posted a 21-11 overall record and went 19-6 in conference play. He is the first PVAMU head coach in over 55 years to have a winning record in every season he was there.

Simmons is most well known for his six-year tenure at Florida A&M where he went 45-13, winning nine or more games in each of his last four seasons. That included going 12-1 in 2023, winning the SWAC championship game and the Celebration Bowl.

Under Simmons' guidance, the Rattlers had four-straight top-25 finishes, finishing fifth in the final FCS poll of 2023, their highest national ranking since 1998.

He finished his tenure with the Rattlers as a two-time HBCU national champion and received AFCA Region 3 Coach of the Year honors and SWAC Coach of the Year.

In Simmons' most recent coaching venture with the Duke Blue Devils, they posted a 9-3 record under head coach Manny Diaz. Star Thomas led the team with 941 rushing yards, seven touchdowns and averaged 72.58 rushing yards per game.

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Kevin Barral
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