The James Colzie III era of Florida A&M football has begun.
On Monday, the university officially introduced the Rattlers’ 19th full-time head coach with a press conference on Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium.
FAMU announced last Saturday that it promoted Colzie from interim to head coach to replace Willie Simmons. The former FAMU head coach Simmons resigned from the Rattlers on Jan. 1 to become Duke’s running backs coach.
FAMU is Colzie’s second head coaching job, last serving in the role at St. Mary’s University in Canada from the 2016-2021 seasons. The Miami native Colzie joined the Rattlers staff in 2022 to oversee the cornerbacks and added assistant head coach to his duties in 2023, which saw FAMU win the Southwestern Athletic Conference and Celebration Bowl titles.
“I want to ensure we continue to uphold FAMU’s standard of winning,” Colzie said in his opening statement.
“We have to do it with class. We already have a contagious culture, and I can’t wait to add to that. We will reach our maximum potential by not compromising anything we do and keeping our goals and vision the same.”
Colzie got hired after a 26-day search for the Rattlers’ head coaching vacancy. FAMU attained search firm Renaissance Search and Consulting and assembled an eight-person search committee that included key Rattlers’ stakeholders.
The FAMU job attracted 45 applicants, and Colzie was identified as the best fit to lead the Rattlers.
“A large pool of interesting and experienced candidates were considered. At the end of this process, James Colzie III emerged as the right person to lead FAMU football,” FAMU Vice President and Director of Athletics Tiffani-Dawn Sykes said as she introduced Colzie III.
“I ask everyone who loves FAMU to fully support our coach, his staff, and our football student-athletes. Coach Colzie is forever a part of the rich legacy of FAMU football head coaching greats.”
New FAMU head football coach James Colzie III enters role with support of locker room
Rattlers football players played a significant role of Colzie becoming their new head coach.
The team immediately backed then-interim head coach Colzie to get the permanent role and replace the departed Simmons.
FAMU running back and Celebration Bowl Offensive Most Valuable Player Kelvin Dean Jr. served on the search committee. Moreover, FAMU players were vocal via Board of Trustees meetings and social media in favor of Colzie.
“I truly, truly appreiciate what you did for me,” Colzie addressed to his players that sat in the crowd during his introductory press conference.
“There’s a trust that has been built over the last couple of years,” Colzie added. “I wouldn’t ask my guys to do anything else but be honest with me, do what’s asked, and be quality individuals.
“We’re a pretty close team. I’m hoping we continue to be closer.”
Following Simmons’ departure, FAMU hasn’t lost any on-field coaches.
Instead, former FAMU director of football operations and chief of staff LaTroy Johnson and director of recruiting Devin Rispress.
Johnson is now the South Carolina State’s director of football operations in his hometown of Orangeburg. Rispress currently works on coach Deion Sanders’ Colorado staff as an assistant director of player personnel and high school relations.
Colzie had his first staff meeting as the Rattlers head football coach shortly after the press conference.
“I want to thank the staff that’s been sticking with me since January,” Colzie said. “There’s been some ups and downs, but we maintained what was important ― our players.
James Colzie III looking forward to first signing day as FAMU’s head football coach
National Signing Day is looming.
So, Colzie’s first order of business is identifying student-athletes to assist the Rattlers in their SWAC and Black College Football National Championship repeat efforts.
Colzie visited South Florida last week on a recruiting trip.
“The first priority is making sure we sign a successful class on February 7,” Colzie said. “It’s about solidifying our recruiting class and making sure our guys in the locker room and our coaches are good.”
Colzie says he wants to get more offensive lineman and wide receivers for the next batch of Rattlers.
Thus far, Colzie’s biggest has been former Florida State running back Rodney Hill, who played for the Seminoles from 2022-2023.
Hill was previously committed to FAMU, but decommitted after Simmons’ departure. He then committed to Miami, but has since flipped back to the Rattlers.
Colzie and Hill share the connection of both being former FSU athletes as the new head coach played football and baseball for the Seminoles.
“The lifeline of our program is our recruting,” Colzie said. “We have to make sure we continue to bring in the right people at Florida A&M.
Gerald Thomas, III covers Florida A&M University Athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at gdthomas@tallahassee.com or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU Football: New Rattlers coach Colzie excited to overtake program
