Quincy native Willie Simmons 'Super Proud' of his FIU football team
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Willie Simmons couldn’t hide his pride in what FIU football accomplished in his inaugural season.
While the Panthers lost to UTSA 56-20 at the First Responder Bowl in Dallas on Friday evening, Dec. 26, Simmons directed the program to just its fifth winning season (7-6) in program history and its most wins since 2018.
Simmons, the former hometown hero from Quincy and FAMU Rattlers head coach, expressed his thanks on social media Saturday, Dec. 27.
“Super proud of this team!,” Simmons posted on his personal Facebook account.
“Not many people thought we’d even be bowling year 1, but the young men in that locker room defied odds all year long to get us there. Definitely not the ending we wanted, but it doesn’t diminish all that this team has accomplished!
“The bar has been set and now it’s time to raise it. Panther Nation, thank you for your support and I look forward to seeing you all raise your bar as well with giving! I want to thank our administration for their leadership and support and I look forward to seeing that bar raised as well! I love this team and am blessed to lead such a fine group of young men and I can’t wait to get back to work to start reloading!”
Simmons told The Tallahassee Democrat he is scheduled to return to Quincy Sunday, Dec. 28, for a few days.
Willie Simmons named FIU head football coach a year ago
Simmons was named as the seventh head coach in the history of the FIU football on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. He had spent the 2024 season as an assistant coach overseeing the running backs at Duke.
Simmons, of course, transformed FAMU football as he served six years (2018-23) as head coach of the Rattlers. He compiled a 45-13 (.776) overall record and a 34-5 (.872) mark in Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play.
Additionally, Simmons led the Rattlers to two HBCU National Championships (2019, 2023) and their first SWAC Championship and Celebration Bowl title in 2023.
FAMU football is in a period of transition following the hiring of Quinn Gray, a former record-setting Rattlers quarterback, as the program’s new head coach. Gray succeeds James Colzie III, who was dismissed after two seasons. Colzie had previously been promoted from an assistant role under Simmons.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Quincy native, former FAMU coach Willie Simmons ‘Super Proud’ of FIU team
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