That is an op-ed article written by Vaughn Wilson, his views and opinions aren’t meant to characterize the views and opinions of the HBCU Gameday model as an entire.
FAMU soccer was like a bulldozer. Billy Joe had the Rattlers rolling by the MEAC and nearly making the NCAA FCS Playoffs yearly. Not solely have been the Rattlers moving into the playoffs, they have been profitable video games.
Employed in 1994, Billy Joe introduced in his personal model of Invoice Walsh’s West Coast Offense and dubbed it the Gulf Coast Offense. It was what Joe referred to as a full-game two-minute drill. The Rattlers have been plagued by gifted quarterbacks. Pat Bonner, Quinn Grey, Oteman Sampson, Mario Allen, Ja’Juan Seider, and the listing goes on and on of the gifted arms Joe would make the most of to run up and down the sector on his quick break offense.
The receivers have been too many to call as properly. NCAA record-breaking receiver Jacquay Nunnally broke Jerry Rice’s all-time report for receptions below the Billy Joe offense. With receivers like Cainon Lamb, Tariq Quayim and Dennis Bonga, the Gulf Coast Offense was a high-powered sight to see.
It was nothing for the Rattlers to attain in extra of fifty points-per-game. Joe had a digital orange and inexperienced machine. It appeared that nothing might cease the Rattlers.
Upon the departure of legendary FAMU President Dr. Frederick S. Humphries, FAMU’s athletics applications took a tumble below an not sure administration led by then-President Dr. Frederick Gainous. In Gainous’ protection, he was led by a heavy-handed FAMU Board of Trustees who had massive concepts, however no plan to attain them.
In 2003, with out common public information, the college introduced that it had utilized for and been accepted into the NCAA’s highest division, Division I. This put FAMU because the lone college to attain this standing. It was thought-about part of the identical degree because the Large 10, SEC, ACC, and Pac-12 Conferences. This was completed with an utility of want, however not a reliable plan to take action.
Willie Simmons got here to FAMU to be the beginning quarterback
With that announcement, Billy Joe’s monster of a group he had assembled was instantly dismantled. Earlier than there was a switch portal, FAMU had a stream of transfers from bigger faculties. In that 2003 class was Clemson College switch quarterback Willie Simmons. Simmons and different transfers had satisfied others to switch in as Joe claims he had his most gifted bunch to this point. Simmons’ success at Clemson as a backup was simply what the Rattlers wanted to make that massive run within the I-AA (FCS) playoffs.
Nevertheless, as a result of the administration had utilized to I-A, all the transfers who had come from Division-I have been instantly deemed ineligible. Simmons, who had labored all Summer time with FAMU’s new quarterback needed to switch away from FAMU and ended up taking part in for The Citadel, the place he had a stellar senior season.
FAMU went from the highest of the heap to the dungeon, all due to self-inflicted wounds. It received in its personal manner higher than every other MEAC group might. From there the group struggled mightily and the division was a humiliation as it could result in a funding deficit that in some methods nonetheless haunts the college to this present day. A multi-million greenback deficit established across the transfer to I-A has some unsettled debt to this present day.
Joe remembers what was left of his group due to a change in path pressured on them by the athletic director, president, and board of trustees. “Due to going to Division-I single A and also you needed to adhere to a special customary, these youngsters dispersed and went to totally different universities throughout the nation. And we have been a skeletal sort group after all of them left,” Joe mentioned.
Administrative mandate led to Joe’s firing
It will definitely led to Joe’s firing by that very same administration who had brought on all the issues to start with and set off a downward spiral of the FAMU program that didn’t wield one other undisputed HBCU nationwide championship till 2023.
Whereas the core of the change by the administration is totally different from Billy Joe’s situation, FAMU is dealing with one other strong-handed change to the soccer program. Very like the tragic course set in 2003, the latest course is unknown to the stakeholders. If they appear hesitant, it may very well be ghosts of the sabotaging of the Billy Joe period which can be haunting the FAMU trustworthy.
Regardless of the case, FAMU followers will quickly be handed the imaginative and prescient of VP/AD Sykes and should simply “roll with it.”
What considerations most followers is the sensation of disrespect for not being saved abreast of what seems to be to be wholesale modifications within the FAMU Soccer program.
And to suppose, the engraving might be not even set in good on the 2023 Cricket Celebration Bowl trophy.
