How Will Willie Simmons Lead the Rattlers Through the Controversy?

How will FAMU's head coach lead the team in Chapel Hill and against Jackson State after the recent NCAA compliance debacle?

The Florida A&M compliance and eligibility debacle didn't just start on Friday morning — it's been developing for some time in Tallahassee. An interim athletic director and one compliance officer were not the problems. 

The teams' football issues began long before the players couldn't board their chartered buses to the airport for the trip to Chapel Hill.

Let's reverse engineer what is known and unpack Florida A&M's compliance debacle.

Florida A&M Head Coach Willie Simmons; Credit: Kyle T. Mosley, HBCU Legends; Nov. 27, 2021, Hammond, LA; FAMU vs. SLU

WHAT WE KNOW

1. ABC 27 reporter Alison Posey confirmed Florida A&M's star linebacker Isaiah Land "is one of the 20 ineligible players."
2. NCAA insider Stan Becton reported, "Florida A&M will miss at least three returning starters with all-conference accolades for tomorrow's game against UNC. Appeals are pending, but these players could potentially miss the first four games."
3. Becton also mentioned that Florida A&M has one compliance officer on staff. The Rattlers' Athletics website lists Kentrell Kearney as the Associate Athletic Director for Compliance and Diversity and Michelle Harper as the Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Welfare and Competitive Excellence.  FAMU must update its website.  Why?  Because Kearney resides as the Sr. Associate Athletics Director for Compliance at Dartmouth University.  Lori Goodart is on the Staff Directory page as the Financial Aid Coordinator/Interim Director for Compliance and Diversity.  Hence, was Goodart responsible for failing to realize the compliance irregularities with the football players.
4. Posey asked Willie Simmons where the proverbial ball got dropped in the process for the program to have 20 ineligible players.

Coach Simmons Statements to Reporters

1. To Alison Posey: "We're looking internally to see where it was dropped and how we can prevent it from happening in the future," Simmons noted. "But in the meantime, we're trying to get in front of it and hopefully, take ownership responsibility which I think's what they want at the end of the day. They want us to look internally and see what our problems are and figure out ways to fix it. Then because we've done that, I will just hope and pray that they recognize that we see where we're falling short, that we have a plan in place to correct these wrongs in all three areas."
2. To Gerald Thomas III: "Late last night, we received word that a lot of our guys we anticipated to make the trip to Chapel Hill were deemed ineligible for myriad reasons. We worked through that this morning and got a few of them cleared. So some things have started to move a little bit," Simmons commented to the Tallahassee Democrat.

On Friday morning, FAMU alumni and fans were in an uproar once the rumors of the game cancellation hit social media.

HBCU Legends and other media outlets contacted Florida A&M and North Carolina athletic department representatives for confirmation of the game's cancellation. Both schools verified the Ratters and Tar Heels will play Saturday.

A LOOK INTERNALLY

When head football coach Willie Simmons stated, "They [NCAA] want us to look internally and see what our problems are and figure out ways to fix it," was revealing.

Problems with academics, the transfer portal athletes, and ineligibility clearance are very involved for each school's compliance department.

Ultimately, the athletic director has full responsibility since compliance is under their umbrella.

Coach Simmons addressed a crucial factor to consider Saturday evening — player safety. "Some critical positions that were undermanned in, so we had to assess the viability of playing a game for the safety of our student-athletes."

Simmons mentioned that he had just eight offensive linemen available.

Don't forget that Jeremy Moussa is FAMU's new starting quarterback. How will he last passing with a makeshift offensive line? 

Going into a game with a Power 5 program with limited resources will be a challenge for the Rattlers. He allowed a team vote to decide, and the FAMU will play.

"We're going to go to war with these guys and work to get the other guys back by this coming week to accomplish our ultimate goal in winning a SWAC Championship."

Alabama State Hornets quarterback Ryan Nettles (13) is sacked by Florida A&M Rattlers linebacker Isaiah Land (31) during a game between FAMU and Alabama State University at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee, Fla. Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. Famu Vs Alabama State 100221 519  Credit:© Tori Lynn Schneider/Tallahassee Democrat / USA TODAY NETWORK

THE FALLOUT

1. Isaiah Land and 19 other players are ineligible by the NCAA standards. But for how long?
2. FAMU would lose the 2021 Buck Buchanan award winner, who led the FBS and FCS with 19 recorded sacks and was honored with the 2021 FCS National Defensive Player of the Year award. His absence is a massive blow against UNC but looms even larger should he miss the following weekend's battle against Jackson State.
3. How will Willie Simmons replace some of his starters and have a competitive team in the SWAC for 2022?
4. Who will take the blame or become a scapegoat for the compliance blunders?

FAMU VP and AD Kortne Gosha; Credit: Dr. Kenyatta Cavil, "Inside the HBCU Sports Lab"

HOW DID FAMU GET HERE?

Former Rattlers' athletic director Kortne Gosha resigned with his department under scrutiny. A report says the university has "outlined numerous failures which involved unauthorized licensing deals, unauthorized hiring of personnel, and NCAA violations. The report also said Gosha created a hostile workplace by failing to work cooperatively with other FAMU departments" under Gosha's leadership.

Gosha is the new Senior Associate Athletic Director, Facilities & Operations at Tulane University. Florida A&M brought in Michael Smith to serve as the interim athletic director.

Gosha landed a prime position at Tulane University after resigning from his post at Florida A&M.

Much to the chagrin of head coach Willie Simmons, he lost a voice and champion for his football program when Gosha exited Tallahassee.

Simmons and Gosha had a productive work relationship.  Could Friday's rocky start to the FAMU season have been averted if Gosha remained? It's difficult to say, but as AD, he did not have these issues last season.

Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders and FAMU head coach Willie Simmons

WHAT'S NEXT

After Saturday night, FAMU will quickly rest, lick their wounds, and turn around to play the 2021 SWAC Champions from Jackson State at the Orange Blossom Classic on Saturday, Sept. 4. How will the Rattlers weather the controversy?

We shall see.