Willie Simmons is leaving HBCU champ FAMU to become a position coach at Duke. Here's why.

if we can just bring Von Wilson uh full screen uh there he is there he is you don't need to you don't need to see me anymore uh van you can hear me well I hear you well can you hear me I can I can uh I will just say this real quickly to coach Simmons and and I'll let you take the conversation over vongh uh coach Simmons we enjoyed uh watching you at FAMU uh always an entertaining uh program very successful uh I personally wish you all the best at Duke University and I and I hope you have a meteoric rise As you move up to the FBS level and and we really appreciated and enjoyed uh covering you wet FAMU and Von I'll let you take the conversation over all right uh we are here obviously in Tallahasse Florida with uh the man of the hour uh head coach Willie Simmons I still call him head coach he's he's still GNA be head coach Willie Simmons um coach quite an exciting uh few days I know your phone has not stopped ringing um just talk about uh you know just let's start at let's start at the beginning um when you came in the family you had a goal of restoring that program back to its greatness and uh you seem to have done that well yeah when we took the job in in 2018 um again huge shout out to Dr John N the athletic director at the time um Dr Robinson uh for giving me the opportunity to come to FAMU as a head coach and you know I grew up here everyone knows that and uh just remember seeing the program be vibrant win championships compete you know compete at the highest level and uh we had a goal to bring that back and so um you know throughout these years you know really worked extremely hard to make that happen and you know we've had some some extreme highs uh a few lows uh and kind of been right there on the cusp uh for for really four years uh and we're finally able to put it all together this year to bring uh the first swack in HBCU National Championship from from the celebration Bowl here so just you know overwhelmed with with gratitude for my time here um I can't say enough about the people um the hardest part of this decision was obviously the student athletes the guys that that that I'm leaving behind uh but also rout the nation just because of what they've meant to to me to my family um just the overwhelming support you know and um it it's it's it's it's a bit of sweet day for me um I'm excited about this new challenge uh but also my my deepest gratitude is for RL nation and the love that they've given me over the years but you know my goal when I got here was uh to to to get the program back and and I always said when the good Lord uh put it upon my spirit to to to transition me to that next phase that we would leave the program in a much better place than we found it and and I I think everyone to a man can agree that we've done that and I'm really excited about the new Direction the football program is headed in in I want to say 2019 or 2021 when you were heavily pursued by uh South Carolina um you decided not to go then what is the difference in is is is the success of this season in indicating where the program was that is that the difference in now in you completing your mission than it was then yeah that's a huge part of it um you know I I try my best to be led by the spirit um my prayer uh to God as always to to to lead and guide me um you know my wife and I are praying people and you know we we we always said when the time was right God would reveal it um I always felt I unfinished business at FAMU um you know in 2019 obviously we had the mythical HBCU National Championship but but I know rout the nation really wanted to to hold that Trophy up in Atlanta as as the Undisputed national champions and so um even though that offer was enticing there were a couple of others along the way uh that were enticing um it just it didn't feel right without being able to say that we're the Undisputed national champion and see that celebration Bowl trophy here in Tallahasse where raple deserves to be and so um just completion you know obviously we talk about our seven FS uh number seven signifies completion and uh we really didn't think that our time here our mission here was complete without that national title and and and not saying that when I got it I was like I got to go now but um the opportunity presented itself um with an individual that um I have a ton of respect for that I've worked with before um just the situation seems like the right time and the right um situation to be a part of and so again makes it not easier to leave because of of the success that we've had uh but you know I always said when I left fam you would definitely want to leave it as a championship program well coach um you know your integration into the fam you Lee um was amazing um alumni love Willie Simmons and what you brought and how you integrated with them and everything that you represented and the accomplishments that you made you and I talked last night it was just amazing what we saw come out of the fam National Alumni Association and your your response to me was that's why I say there's nobody better than FAMU and the Rattlers yeah no question um just again we've always known that rler nation was special um that the family is like none other and to see what we've been able to do or were able to do in really almost 24 hours a little over uh was just unbelievable I I again I think that would be a model for other institutions HBCU and Beyond to see what coming together for a common cause looks like and you know I I really just commend and and and share my gratitude to to to again to Rattler Nation to the the national Alumni Association to the family Bo the Rattler boosters to the the 220 quarterback Club um the the the rattley elf Club you know the FAMU Foundation I mean everyone um coming together for one common goal and that's to to to show how much this football program means you know I would love to say it's to show how much will it s means but it's never been about me and I think that's one thing that I I really want everyone to understand that the success of this program has never been about Willie Simmons it's been about us as a collective family doing it together these young men these coaches this support staff the athletic Administration University Administration our fan base our Lum everybody building this program together because it's taking that to get us to this point you know I had a very important role in that but I didn't have the only role in that and there a lot of people that are returning that have a pivotal part in the success of family football and so you know I know it's a Bittersweet day you know it's a Bittersweet day for me and my family you know I I I I think I've cried about four times in my life and two or three of them have been in the last couple of weeks you know winning the national championship and today um telling the team and telling other individuals you know that my time here has come to an end you know but I really want to impress upon everyone that the success of this program is about so much more than Willie Simmons being here I think under my leadership you know we've shown what we can be but it's only because everyone came together you know rler Nation embraced me you know as as a as a native son and and that that same love and support will be needed for the next leader of this program and I think that's so important for everyone to understand so so again I I understand that today is a very somber moment for me for rler nation I love I love this place with all my heart I will always be a rattler I don't care what anyone says my my wife my family we will always be Rattlers um but a new era has begun for family football and I truly believe the success of this program is going to stay where it is because of everyone else that's poured into this program from uh athletic Administration our University Administration rout the nation so again you know continue to support continue to get behind the the next leader this program uh because with it I have no doubt in my mind I I was listen we were listening in saying that the East is wide open no it's not you know the East is not wide open know FAMU still has a stronghold on the swag East on the swag and on HBCU football because only Willer Simmons is left these players are still here as of right now the coaching staff is still here and with that overwhelming support that RL Nation GES I have no doubt in my mind that they will be right back in Atlanta next year holding that celebration Bowl trophy up coach in history any person that's been a Trailblazer has had a hard way to go um by leaving uh CS as an HBCU coach and going to FBS there's only a handful who've actually done that and at your age you're relatively young man there is a potential at some point if you continue and escalate to be the head coach uh at that level just like I said being a Trailblazer is is never easy but uh ultimately most people who know you have seen you possibly take the Mount of there is I'm obviously sure you know just like every player that comes on your team that you bring on your team if I I I think I remember Walter HMI saying I can't repeat his words but if you're behind don't want to go pro get out of my locker room that's right you know if you don't want the highest and the best for yourself you know nobody else is is going to can't want it for you and so um this is the beginning of another Journey uh for you and um I think in my mind from what I've seen that you're ready to undertake that task yeah you know I I think you know as I look at my career and my path um it's you know ironic that you mentioned players want to go to the NFL and I tell them all the time that when the pro Scouts come and they evaluate you they're checking boxes they want to make sure that you check all the Box boxes and and so throughout my coaching career I've checked many boxes I've been a play caller I've been a head coach I've won a championship I put guys in NFL uh we recruited at a high level you know we've done a lot of things and I've checked a lot of boxes off my resume the one box that I have not checked is being an FPS football coach uh Power five I'm sorry football coach I've coached at the mid major level and so just looking at my career and looking at where I want to ultimately be in my career to to have the type of platform on the national St age to lead young men to to to have a voice um that resonates throughout college football not just the HBCU landscape um I I think this was a pivotal step for me to take and uh and that's why we're taking it you know it has nothing to do with with FAMU I love this place had nothing to do with leadership or lack of resources or any of those things that or APR the asinine people talking about APR scores uh which are fine um you know it was made strictly for you know me and my family to position ourselves to hopefully one day lead a poweri program you know because it's been well chronicled that we don't get those opportunities very often and and and the sad reality of it is um often times we're we're kind of forced to make these type of decisions in order to do so um you know there are guys before me that have made similar decisions to leave you know head coaching jobs or they spcu to to get to that level and try to navigate the these these you know these Waters of of of minorities being in positions of leadership 130 plus FPS programs in America less than 20 are led by Head by by minority head coaches and and it's been that way for over 20 plus years and it has not changed and so you know it's been well chronicled it's been well talked about but we have to position oursel to do those things and you know I would love to think that that could happen at FAMU but the reality of it is it just hasn't it hadn't happened for an HBCU coach you know other than three times in the history of HBCU football Willie Jeffers back in 1979 um Jay Hopson in 2015 who doesn't look like you nor me and uh and Deion Sanders you know who's who's B since purpose is kind of a one-off you know there's only one Dion Prime Sanders to make that jump and so not saying that it couldn't be done I you know I have full confidence in myself and my abilities you know but again everything in life's about decisions the tough decisions that have to be made and and for me you know I I rolled the dice um to make this move and and it's it's again it's because of who it's with I I have the utmost respect for Manny Diaz and what he stands for who he is as a man um as a person as a coach I've been around him I've seen how he interacts with his players I know what type of program he wants to run and and that's what's enticing to me to learn from a guy like that and be in that type of environment at at a at a school with a rigorous academic uh component to it you know and just continue to to to elevate my my career and so all those things went into the deciding factor to make this move um again it wasn't an easy one and again it's been a hardest decision that I've ever had to make in my coaching career um but with with much prayer you know my wife and I you know we we felt that that we one has have done what we said we were going to do here at FAMU um and two the good Lord opened that door for us to to allow us to walk through it and uh and we're going to walk through it boldly and we're going to accept that new challenge um again and we're never going to forget Rattler Nation I told seven cop today make sure you send me uh my booster membership so we can become you know uh Rattler boosters told told vpad syes that you know can't commit to being part of J the Gaither Society next year at the highest level of giving but definitely want to see how much we can do to to become members investing Champions and all those things that we've done while we've been here to continue to support family and family Athletics because again this place is home for me has been for forever and will continue to be so again can't say how much I I'm grateful and appreciative of rler nation and what they meant to me and my family over these last six years and um they haven't seen the last of Willer shotgun senters and coach we're not going to keep coach long I promised I wouldn't keep him long his phone has not stopped buzzing I don't know if y'all hear that on the air but I know there are more people that he need to talk to but we want to thank you on behalf of HBCU game day you've never told us no whenn lose a draw you've been accessible to us uh before and after games and our on behalf of our audience we want to thank you for always being open to us and accessible to us because you know we're about the love for HBCU and that is a big audience and what you came in and showed during your time here is representative very well representative of the best of of the HBCU Legacy and um so we want to let you know that uh you know we get harassed sometimes for following our coaches that leave HBCU but we we are going to follow you we'll be on your coach there seeing what you did and and that sort of thing checking in for you uh because it does represent uh the hpcu Legacy yeah no I appreciate it and then um again this this this this institution has meant so much to me HBCU game day all the media Outlets I'm truly thankful for the coverage you know for the love again I don't have this opportunity without the love that I get from the media you know you guys are a vital part of that so but last I want to again congratulate coach James Coy um on his appointment at as the interim head coach at FAMU he will do an amazing job um I have the utmost confidence in him as a leader I know the players uh definitely believe in him and his ability to lead um I support vpa sites 100% with her um her task of finding the the next leader of family football and and I'll be watching closely and again just I'm always like I said I'm always a rattler and um just just thankful to everyone for for the love thankful for um just you know everything that that they've meant to me over these years okay to whoever's in the Personnel department at Duke Athletics you already took Kyle serba now you're taking Willie Simmons find another school find find find another uh League to deal with our HBCU are done uh with you duke uh no we're happy to see you up at Duke and I know Kyle is a great guy and that you immediately uh have a friend there you know to go along with the people that you already do but for HBCU game day happy Happy New Year to you all um he is head coach Willie Simmons now the running backs coach at Duke University the reigning celebration bow champion and we're going to wish him well on his way and we're going to throw it back to T and the crew in the studio all right thank you Von Wilson for that exclusive interview with the now former head coach at Florida A&M University Willie Simmons he is now a position coach she'll be in charge of the running backs at Duke University all right folks we we bring it to you here at HBCU game day we've always had a solid relationship and kudos to Von Wilson is is not because of anything other than Von Wilson being Mr FAMU uh himself that that we get this level of of information and and access a lot of times with things that are happening at Florida ANM University so look the comments were were on fire uh people were I mean it I couldn't even keep up with it guys uh but it it really seemed to be a lot of support people felt like uh there was a lot of class shown there and I would have to agree it's about as gracious of an exit as as you can have um a lot of people aren't aren't afforded those opportunities especially when they are taking a a new position um but there was love shown on both sides I felt like it was it was a very Class Act by FAMU I mean if you go to their website right now um there's a big thank you uh graphic there with Coach Simmons and he had nothing but positive words uh for the University but if if you listen to what he had to say it was very clear he has Ambitions of being a head coach at the power five level and of course he does he's a head football coach he wants to coach and he wants to coach at the highest level um so that that's very easy to see uh but he talked about how hard the path has been um and continues to be for minorities and you just don't see uh with the exception and he he listed the three examples right there um of people who have gone on from an HBCU um to be a head coach at the power five level like it's just they're just not passing those tickets out so um he made the decision for his career path for his family for his goals um to be a position coach at the power five level and he's going to work it from there and he has the utmost belief in himself that that one day he will be a head coach um at the highest level of college football which is the power five level and that has nothing to do with whether or not you love your HBC or you don't I mean the numbers they just don't lie uh when we talk about when we talk about the amount of uh money that is made generated TV ratings Revenue budgets I mean we all know what the story is that's why they are grouped and it it may not be long before there's even further division uh with all this talk of just creating a a super Conference of the top teams and then just let everybody else um fit in wherever they fit in you know group of five Autonomy 5 and and all that so leaving the FCS level uh going to the FBS level that is willly Simmons you heard him exclusively um he was not a part of the FAMU press conference that was strictly uh led by Tiffany Don Sykes she spoke for about five minutes uh so thank you again to coach Simmons for joining us here at HBCU game day and thank you to Von Wilson for all of his hard work so Von is wrapping up and saying his goodbyes off camera there to coach Simmons uh we're going to try to get V back on the air um and kind of get his thoughts uh on the backside of that interview um miles Steve do we still have Steve or Steve did he check out I imagine he might have just dropped out um so we will effort V to get him back on the air here um in a minute okay all right all right I hear your miles on that uh we want to look through some of the comments here uh is Van v if you can hear me miles miles said you're a little little out of focus a little bit so we want to get you clear uh before you come in so excuse me for looking down at the screen the comments are ref freshing so fast I'm trying to find a good one to express uh what people are saying here uh because as soon as I find one that I like it just Scrolls up uh to another one um uh all right James Jones I'm going to go with you Jame James uh kind of views things a little differently he says our schools will never be able to consistently be relevant if our own also look at our schools as stepping stones well that that's one way that that you can look at it