Frank Ponce Looking To Help Revive FIU Football After A Decade Away

Kevin Barral | Jan 4, 2025

Quarterbacks coach Frank Ponce gives instructions during Louisville football's first practice of the season, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2019 in Louisville Ky. 0804 Ulfbopenpracticemh0007 / Michelle Hutchins/Special to Courier Journal via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Amongst head coach Willie Simmons' first coaching staff at FIU is Frank Ponce, an FIU alum and Miami native. Ponce will be the team's tight ends coach and associate head coach heading into the 2025 season.

This past month has been a crazy one for Ponce, who took the time for an interview with G5 Football Daily.

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Ponce's future at Appalachian State became uncertain with the firing of Shawn Clark. He subsequently interviewed for the FIU head coaching job, but will ultimately return to his alma mater for his second stint as an assistant with the Panthers.

"Definitely unfortunate what happened at App State," Ponce said. "Something that we didn't see coming. Just had this one bad year, but actually, we had a lot of success with coach Clark who has done a great job there with a record of 40-24, but that's the business. You never know what can happen from one day to another. This is what you signed up for. You gotta expect it and when it does come, it's never a comfortable situation. You're never ready for it. You don't ever want it to happen to anybody."

Ponce was one of many candidates interviewed for the FIU head coaching position this winter, which was vacant for the first time since prior to the 2022 season. Ponce interviewed for the job in that window as well, but it wound up going to Memphis defensive coordinator Mike MacIntyre. MacIntyre was fired following a 12-24 stint with the Panthers.

"I interviewed for the FIU job and that was definitely a privilege for me to be even considered for the head coaching job," said Ponce." Had a very good interview process. Ended up hiring coach Simmons, who is an outstanding coach, has tons of success as a head coach and definitely grateful to him for giving me the opportunity to come back to my alma mater and be the tight ends coach and part of the program. I feel great about the situation...I think coach Simmons' vision is exactly what FIU needs and I see a lot of success in the future for FIU football. I'm excited just to be part of it and I can't wait to get started."

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When Mario Cristobal took the FIU head coaching job in 2007, Ponce was on his staff as the school's wide receivers coach until 2012. That staff inherited one of the worst teams in the country from the prior season, and turned it into one that won the Sun Belt and reached two bowl games.

"Coach Cristobal got everybody believing in the dream and the process," Ponce said. "We were able to win a championship in just four years and that's a lot of credit to coach Cristobal and the position he had at the time and the staff that he put together. To this day, these guys are still coaching and having a lot of success around the country. It was a very good time. We had a very talented group of kids, mostly from South Florida, Miami Dade County, Broward County and Palm Beach County."

Ponce will go into an FIU program that is coming off their third straight 4-8 season and will have some questions when it comes to an offense that lost four of five starting offensive lineman and both top receivers. The only constant is Keyone Jenkins, who Ponce and the rest of coaching staff are excited to have back.

"Number one is the quarterback," said Ponce. "Jenkins has been outstanding watching him the last couple of years and just seeing what he does...When you have a trigger man, it's all about the quarterback. In today's game, you gotta have a guy that can throw the ball and run as well. We have that with Jenkins."

One thing that Willie Simmons made clear and that Ponce reiterated is that they will recruit South Florida for the best talent possible.

"When I was out of state, coaching at different places, my main focus was South Florida. We were able to get a lot of great players from South Florida. Four of them are in the NFL or participate on NFL teams. You can't go into a school and not trip over great talent. It's gonna happen, especially down here in South Florida at the skill positions. There's unbelievable talent, incredible kids that are just bred to work hard, compete and have a chip on their shoulder. There's a reason why the entire country comes down here to recruit and try to take the best players out of here."

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At the moment, Ponce's tight end room is a bit bare despite the recent addition of UAB transfer Dallas Payne. The room lost tight ends Josiah Miamen, Antonio Ferguson and Rocky Beers. Along with Payne is Braiden Staten, Chad Staley and in Febuary Jackson Verdugo is set to sign as the only incoming freshman to that tight end room.

Building up that group will be one of Ponce's first major tasks in his seventh overall season as an FIU assistant.

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