FROM THE MINDS OF THE BCSN

The departure of Florida A&M head football coach Willie Simmons after six years and five seasons brings to an end one of the most accomplished and successful tenures on the highest of seven hills in nearly 25 years. Simmons’ departure for an assistant coaching position at Duke University, is a move that may have been a surprise to many, but it should not have been unbelievable. FAMU alumni and supporters (aka, The FAMULY) made efforts to fundraise with the intent of giving VP of Intercollegiate Athletics, Tiffany-Dawn Sykes, enough financial support to present Coach Simmons with a matching or competitive counter-offer to the rumored $500K per year contract being offered by Duke. Alas, the efforts weren’t successful, but there were positives from the attempt that give FAMU and FAMU Athletics an opportunity to move forward with an inspired and optimistic fanbase. Marcus Green, co-host of The O&G StrikeZone, analyzes the departure and future of Florida A&M Football one week after the departure of Coach Willie Simmons. How Did We Get Here? 1. Warning signals This day was a long time coming and wasn't a secret. When Coach Simmons was hired in Dec. 2017 with a 5-year deal, more than a few FAMU alums personally remarked that if he achieved the level of success that was expected, and if he reached some or all of the incentives in the original contract (team APR improvement, Florida Classic win, FCS Playoff berth, Celebration Bowl win, Conf. Coach of the Year) that FAMU would be fortunate to have him make it to the 2nd contract. His age, ambition and acumen as a 'turnaround specialist' makes him an attractive hire for any school. He came over from Prairie View after leading them to a 9 win 1st season, and having them compete in the SWAC annually. Early 2018 - in a podcast with Mike Prince shortly after his FAMU hire, there were questions regarding Coach Simmons desire to return to the FBS level (MTSU assistant coach early in career) https://twitter.com/OBN_Radio/status/939215293880127488 When ESPNs Holly Rowe was a guest speaker at the Tallahassee QB Club in Nov. 2019 raved about Coach Simmons , said he was a 'rising coaching star'. Simmons was identified (April 2021) and participated in the National Coalition of Minority Coaches Coalition Alliance as 1 of 13 FCS coaches who could become FBS coaches and was assigned Debbie Yow, 1st female AD in ACC (NC State and Maryland) as mentor. In the 'What About Us?' ESPN documentary, episode No.4 starting at the 8:40 min. mark , he was asked about leaving for FBS, and he mentioned it would be hard to leave but he would at least listen. Coach Simmons was identified as a potential candidate for the Univ. of South Carolina RB coach vacancy under new HC Shane Beamer, just prior to the contract extension signed in 2021.

The Florida A&M Rattlers are recognized as the 2023 Black College Sports Network HBCU Division-I Football National Champions.

Benedict College Tigers are recognized as the 2023 Black College Sports Network Non-DI HBCU Football National Champions.

Black College Sports Network: 706-372-7958 bcsntv@myjbn.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: The Black College Sports Network returns to Duval (ATLANTA, GA) – August 23, 2023 Edward Waters University has partnered with the Black College Sports Network to stream EWU Tiger athletic events. This partnership will allow for the broadcast of all athletic teams as well as other campus and student life events. The Tigers have been in the BCSN Championship spotlight the last 12 months as we have streamed their rise to SIAC championships in Men’s Volleyball and Women’s Softball! The EWU Lady Tigers Softball team was named BCSN D-2 National Champions this past spring. This deal opens new doors for exposure and revenue generation. "We are thrilled to once again connect with the Black College Sports Network as our broadcast partner. BCSN has been phenomenal in showcasing HBCU Athletics for numerous seasons and we are excited to be a part of the family." Dr. Ivana Rich, Athletic Director Roy M. Eavins II, CEO of the Black College Network, had this to say: “We are more than excited to return to Duval county to work with Edward Waters! It was an amazing journey as we streamed their events during the transition from NAIA to NCAA D-2! One of the most exciting things is to see SuperFan aka Dr. Zachery Faison supporting his student athletes! I really look forward to working with Dr. Rich to help bring her vision for Edward Waters Athletics to the forefront!” You will be able to watch Edward Waters athletic content via the BCSN app: MyJBN-MyBCSN in the Apple app store and JERICHO Broadcast Networks in the Google app store as well as across most social media platforms. You can also catch EWU Live events and replays at the EWU Tiger Broadcast Central https://MyBCSN.net/watch/ewutigers Stay tuned for the full Fall 2023 broadcast schedule for Football and Volleyball that will be released later this week. The season will kick off Saturday September 2nd with the BCSN GameTime Show LIVE from the EWU campus followed by the LIVE broadcast of The Big Cat Classic as the Lions of Florida Memorial University Invade Duval to face your Edward Waters University Tigers! For sponsorship opportunities contact info@myjbn.com For more information on BCSN email us at bcsntv@myjbn.com What is the BCSN? "The Black College Sports Network is the first online media outlet dedicated to LIVE coverage & broadcasting of HBCU sporting events on a weekly basis. The BCSN is the flagship product of the JERICHO Broadcast Networks (JBN)."

2023 Florida A&M Football Season and Team Preview.