Post by ATLaggie on Feb 22, 2024 21:15:13 GMT -5
www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/former-famu-coach-willie-simmons-linked-to-open-georgia-state-job/ar-BB1iIJxG?ocid=msedgntp&pc=ASTS&cvid=960bee8aaee447d1a33aaa717e7f8dba&ei=25
n a surprising turn of events, former Florida A&M head coach Willie Simmons has been linked to the head coaching vacancy at Georgia State. Per Football Scoop, Simmons is part of a group of potential coaching candidates who are slated to speak or have already spoken to Georgia State officials about the open position.
“Other candidates who are slated to interview or already have spoken to Georgia State officials in some capacity are former Georgia wide receivers coach Bryan McClendon, who has taken the wide receivers job with the Tampa Bay Bucs but sources say has not signed his contract yet; Jess Simpson, a former Georgia State D-line coach with experience coaching the position throughout the Southeast and recently joined Georgia Tech’s staff; and former Florida A&M head coach Willie Simmons, now the Duke running backs coach,” writers Zach Barnett and John Brice wrote in their piece.
Simmons achieved remarkable success as the head of Florida A&M. He took over in 2018 and steered the Rattlers to winning seasons annually. With a 45-13 record at FAMU, he skillfully led the team through their move from the MEAC to the SWAC. Since transitioning to the SWAC, Florida A&M has experienced only two losses in conference, both to the Jackson State Tigers under Deion Sanders in 2021 (7-6) and 2022 (59-3). Simmons led the Rattlers to a SWAC Championship and Celebration Bowl victory in December. However, rumors circulated that Duke offered him a position as running backs coach under new Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz. Simmons announced on January 1st that he accepted the position.
In an exclusive interview with Vaughn Wilson of HBCU Gameday, he spoke about his desire to be a Power 5 coach.
“Throughout my coaching career, I’ve checked many boxes. I’ve been a play caller, a head coach, and even won a championship. I’ve successfully guided players to the NFL and recruited at a high level. With all these accomplishments, there is still one box left unchecked on my resume – being an FBS football coach at the Power Five level. While I have coached at the mid-major level, I aspire to have a national platform and lead young men on a larger scale, making an impact in college football beyond just the HBCU landscape. Taking this step is pivotal for me and that’s exactly why I’m taking it.”
While Georgia State isn’t a Power 5 football program as it competes in the Sun Belt Conference, Simmons could establish a track record of success at the FBS level, which would be beneficial for his aspirations of becoming a Power 5 coach down the line.
In an interview with Jim Trotter in a piece for The Athletic, Simmons spoke about how winning in FBS is seen as more representative of the success of a coach than winning on the FCS level.
“I was basically given the same message: Unfortunately it doesn’t really matter what you do at the FCS level because of the changing landscape of college athletics and NIL and things of that nature. Getting to the Power 5 level had a lot more weight, so to speak, in the eyes of decision-makers than any success I would have at the FCS level. That was also the feedback from one of the schools that I interviewed with a couple of years ago, from the athletic director. He said my lack of Power 5 experience weighed in the decision to hire who they hired. That person had that experience, and I didn’t.”
Although Simmons is linked to the job, it is reported that Dell McGee is a frontrunner for the open position. McGee currently serves as the University of Georgia’s Running Backs Coach and Run Game Coordinator. Per 247sports reporter Ben Moore, McGee has been offered the position and both sides are working out the logistics of the deal.
However, it’s intriguing that Simmons was connected to the open position, signaling a potential move toward other FBS head coaching roles in the near future.
n a surprising turn of events, former Florida A&M head coach Willie Simmons has been linked to the head coaching vacancy at Georgia State. Per Football Scoop, Simmons is part of a group of potential coaching candidates who are slated to speak or have already spoken to Georgia State officials about the open position.
“Other candidates who are slated to interview or already have spoken to Georgia State officials in some capacity are former Georgia wide receivers coach Bryan McClendon, who has taken the wide receivers job with the Tampa Bay Bucs but sources say has not signed his contract yet; Jess Simpson, a former Georgia State D-line coach with experience coaching the position throughout the Southeast and recently joined Georgia Tech’s staff; and former Florida A&M head coach Willie Simmons, now the Duke running backs coach,” writers Zach Barnett and John Brice wrote in their piece.
Simmons achieved remarkable success as the head of Florida A&M. He took over in 2018 and steered the Rattlers to winning seasons annually. With a 45-13 record at FAMU, he skillfully led the team through their move from the MEAC to the SWAC. Since transitioning to the SWAC, Florida A&M has experienced only two losses in conference, both to the Jackson State Tigers under Deion Sanders in 2021 (7-6) and 2022 (59-3). Simmons led the Rattlers to a SWAC Championship and Celebration Bowl victory in December. However, rumors circulated that Duke offered him a position as running backs coach under new Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz. Simmons announced on January 1st that he accepted the position.
In an exclusive interview with Vaughn Wilson of HBCU Gameday, he spoke about his desire to be a Power 5 coach.
“Throughout my coaching career, I’ve checked many boxes. I’ve been a play caller, a head coach, and even won a championship. I’ve successfully guided players to the NFL and recruited at a high level. With all these accomplishments, there is still one box left unchecked on my resume – being an FBS football coach at the Power Five level. While I have coached at the mid-major level, I aspire to have a national platform and lead young men on a larger scale, making an impact in college football beyond just the HBCU landscape. Taking this step is pivotal for me and that’s exactly why I’m taking it.”
While Georgia State isn’t a Power 5 football program as it competes in the Sun Belt Conference, Simmons could establish a track record of success at the FBS level, which would be beneficial for his aspirations of becoming a Power 5 coach down the line.
In an interview with Jim Trotter in a piece for The Athletic, Simmons spoke about how winning in FBS is seen as more representative of the success of a coach than winning on the FCS level.
“I was basically given the same message: Unfortunately it doesn’t really matter what you do at the FCS level because of the changing landscape of college athletics and NIL and things of that nature. Getting to the Power 5 level had a lot more weight, so to speak, in the eyes of decision-makers than any success I would have at the FCS level. That was also the feedback from one of the schools that I interviewed with a couple of years ago, from the athletic director. He said my lack of Power 5 experience weighed in the decision to hire who they hired. That person had that experience, and I didn’t.”
Although Simmons is linked to the job, it is reported that Dell McGee is a frontrunner for the open position. McGee currently serves as the University of Georgia’s Running Backs Coach and Run Game Coordinator. Per 247sports reporter Ben Moore, McGee has been offered the position and both sides are working out the logistics of the deal.
However, it’s intriguing that Simmons was connected to the open position, signaling a potential move toward other FBS head coaching roles in the near future.
