Alabama A&M’s defense just got a big addition on the sidelines with the hiring of Kienus Boulware.
The former Winston-Salem State head coach has been hired as defensive line coach, according to the Winston-Salem Journal.
Boulware served as head coach at WSSU from 2014-2018, leading the program to a 35-18 record during that time, including back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2016. He was fired in April 2018 after being accused of improperly handling a fight between members of the football program. Boulware fought the firing in court for nearly two years to uphold his reputation and the two years left on his contract.
“To be honest, Coach Boulware didn’t do a bad job as a head coach there at Winston but those expectations were so high,” AAMU head coach Connell Maynor said. “You look at his record and the fact he won two CIAA championships during that time other schools in the conference would love that.”
The move will unite Boulware with Connell Maynor, who proceeded him as WSSU’s head coach. With Maynor as head coach and Boulware as defensive coordinator, WSSU went 45-6 from 2009 to 2013, including an HBCU-best 14-1 season in 2012. The defense was consistently one of the best in Division II, allowing just 16 points per game during that time span.
“This is a win-win situation for us because coaches like Kienus Boulware don’t come along too often with his kind of resume, his leadership qualities and he knows what it takes to be successful,” Maynor said. “We’re trying to repeat as SWAC champions and as Black college national champions so this is just another piece of the puzzle to try and get us there. We’re excited to have him on board.”
Boulware’s coaching career dates back to the mid-1990s at Livingstone College. Hired fresh off his career at the University of North Carolina, he helped Livingstone win back-to-back CIAA titles in 1997 and 1998 under Rudy Abrams. He followed Abrams to NC Central and eventually served under Rod Broadway, helping NCCU to a CIAA title in 2005. From there he went to Shaw, helping that program win back-to-back titles in 2007 and 2008.
Now he comes to an AAMU program that already includes former WSSU coaches Duane Taylor (offensive coordinator) and Jason Mai (quarterbacks) as well as former WSSU offensive lineman Markus Lawrence (offensive line).