TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida A&M head football coach Willie Simmons has resigned to become running backs coach at Duke.
Simmons was 45-13 in five seasons with the Rattlers, including a 12-1 record that culminated with a Celebration Bowl victory this season.
The former Clemson quarterback and Quincy native last coached in the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2011 at Middle Tennessee, where he was offensive coordinator.
"Coach Simmons has been transparent about his aspirations to become a Power 5 head football coach, and I am thrilled that he has been offered an opportunity to take a significant step toward achieving that goal," FAMU athletic director Tiffani-Dawn Sykes said Sunday in a statement announcing his resignation.
New Duke head coach Manny Diaz worked with Simmons at Middle Tennessee from 2007-09, when Diaz was the team's defensive coordinator and Simmons coached running backs.
Simmons took over at FAMU in 2018 and led the Rattlers to five consecutive winning seasons. The Rattlers won nine or more games each of their past four seasons (the team didn't play in 2020 amid the pandemic) and went 22-2 in Southwestern Athletic Conference play since joining the league in 2021.
Sykes thanked Simmons for his contributions to the FAMU football program and said she was "both proud and sad to see him go."
Former Florida State cornerback James Colzie III will serve as interim head coach of the Rattlers. He's been with the team since 2022.