FIU's Football Future Transformed with Willie Simmons

Background and Hiring Process

According to reliable sources involved in the decision, FIU has officially welcomed Willie Simmons to lead its football team. Simmons, currently the running backs coach at Duke, will take over the reins from Mike MacIntyre. MacIntyre was let go last weekend following three consecutive 4-8 seasons. Simmons, a 44-year-old native of Tallahassee, Fla., will be the seventh head coach in the program's history.

Tim Harris Jr., who was most recently the offensive coordinator at UCF, was also a finalist for the job. This shows the level of competition and interest in the FIU football coaching position.

Previous Coaching Experience

Before joining Duke in 2024, Simmons had an impressive coaching record at Florida A&M. He went 45-13 as the head coach and led the Rattlers to a SWAC championship and a berth in the Celebration Bowl in 2023, which was his final season with the program. Simmons played quarterback at Clemson for Tommy Bowden from 2000 to 2002 and at The Citadel in 2003.

FIU's football program was founded in 2002 and started playing FBS games three years later. In its history, the program has had only four winning seasons, with the last one coming in 2018 under Butch Davis. Mario Cristobal holds the record for the most wins as the coach with a 27-47 record.

Current Situation and Challenges

The FIU football program is currently facing several challenges. More than a dozen players have announced their plans to enter the transfer portal, including key players like quarterback Keyone Jenkins, standout receiver Eric Rivers, four starters on the offensive line, starting linebacker Travion Barnes, and starting safety Hezekiah Masses. This has raised concerns about the team's stability and future.

However, there are also some positive aspects. The school recently signed a deal to rename its football stadium after recording artist Pitbull, which is expected to bring in $1.2 million annually over five years. This deal is also expected to assist in providing name, image, and likeness compensation for athletes, which is an important aspect in today's college sports landscape.

Historical Highlights and Alumni

The highest point in FIU's program history was beating crosstown rival Miami in November 2019. That was the last season the Panthers played in a bowl game. But since then, they have lost 18 of their next 19 games, and Davis was fired at the end of a 1-11 season.

Despite these challenges, the program has produced 10 NFL Draft picks all-time, with the most famous being four-time Pro Bowl receiver and 2010 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year T.Y. Hilton.