FAMU’s Simmons leaves to be Duke’s RBs coach

• Adam Rittenberg, ESPN

  • Senior Citizen WriterJan 1, 2024, 01:07 PM ET Close College football reporter.
  • Signed up with ESPN.com in 2008.
  • Graduate of Northwestern University.Florida A&M coach Willie Simmons

  , who guided the Rattlers to a 12-1 record and an Event Bowl championship this season, is leaving to become running backs coach at Duke.Simmons is 45-13 in five seasons at Florida A&M and 66-24 total as a college coach. He invested the weekend weighing his alternatives with Duke and Florida A&M, which made a strong push to keep the coach, before reaching a choice Monday.Simmons, 43, last coached in the FBS in 2011 at Middle Tennessee, where he acted as offensive organizer. New Duke coach Manny Diaz and Simmons overlapped as Middle Tennessee assistants from 2007 to 2009, when Diaz was the team’s defensive organizer and Simmons coached running backs.Editor’s Picks 1 Associated Simmons coached Prairie View A&M from 2015 to 2017, going 21-11. He went 39-8 throughout his last four seasons

at Florida A&M, which rallied to beat Howard 30-26 in the Event Bowl on Dec. 16. Simmons was signed with Florida A&M through 2025, and made an annual income of$300,000. He got$135,000 in rewards this season,

including$100,000 for winning the Event Bowl.