OPINION: Willie Simmons’ decision to leave FAMU to take the running backs coach position at Duke doesn’t mean he’s a sellout. With all that he has achieved, he’s earned the right to pursue his dream of being an FBS/Power 5 head football coach.
Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more
One commentator said Simmons should stay another few years in hopes of landing his dream job. That might’ve been easier without so much money on the table, without a wife and six children. When you’re talking about someone else’s pockets, it’s easier to equate being paid with being disloyal.
But even if the money was the same, the SWAC ain’t the ACC. No shade and no shame.
Simmons now is that much closer to being an FBS/Power 5 head coach, but miss me with warped logic that he sold out. He and his wife, Shaia, are native Floridians and she’s a two-time FAMU graduate. “We were Rattlers long before I became the Head Football Coach,” Simmons said in a statement. “And no matter where my career takes us, we are FOREVER Rattlers. Thank you again FAMULY for everything. We LOVE YOU and continue Striking from the top!”
Relationships matter, too, and Simmons has chosen to work under new Duke coach Manny Diaz. The two previously worked together as assistants at Middle Tennessee State and Simmons once hired Diaz’s son at FAMU. It’s not right, but Simmons instantly becomes a stronger candidate for bigger jobs in the near future.
He served FAMU with class and grace for six years, restoring a proud program that was suffering tough times. Before Simmons arrived, the Rattlers hadn’t posted a winning record or won more than four games in a season since 2011. With him, they’ve averaged nine wins per season and never had a losing record.
When news broke that Duke made an offer he was considering, Simmons posted a list of his accomplishments with the Obama drop-the-mic GIF. He’s proud of his tenure — including the team’s academic progress — and any bragging is well-earned. The last bullet point addressed a rumored factor in his decision: “NO pending postseason ban!!!”
Instead of questioning and criticizing Simmons’ choice, fearing what it says about HBCUs (and Black institutions, in general), there’s only one appropriate response to his move:
Thank you, congrats and best wishes.
Unfortunately, that’s asking too much for some ignorant folks.
Deron Snyder, from Brooklyn, is an award-winning columnist who lives near D.C. and pledged Alpha at HU-You Know! He’s reaching high, lying low, moving on, pushing off, keeping up, and throwing down. Got it? Get more at blackdoorventures.com/deron.
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