The “head coach of the head coach” is what Willie Simmons refers to his wife Shaia as. While Simmons is the head coach at FAMU, at home Shaia is the head coach. Finding time in the world of coaching is an art. Football coaches spend virtually their whole careers in the film room, on the field, in meetings, traveling, recruiting, and in meetings related to their job.
So, when the opportunity came for the Simmons’ to attend the President of the United States’ annual Easter Egg Roll on the White House lawn, it was too good an opportunity to pass up. The Simmons family traveled to DC to participate in the event with one of the most difficult invitations to attain.
Shaia Simmons let it all flow in a Facebook post. “I can’t really sum up the sheer awe and gratefulness of this moment. I think about little ol’ us, how tickled the ancestors must be, the tears I fought back watching our kids run on the South Lawn. I read the invitation about 100 times. Little us being BLESSED IN BIG WAYS…It’s a dream…,” she said.
The family also took time to tour the great sites in DC. Simmons always seems to squeeze in family time as most head coaches have to be creative as to not lose ground.
He doesn’t have much time to spare as FAMU will wrap up Spring practice with the annual Orange & Green game this weekend at Bragg Memorial Stadium. HBCU Gameday will have complete coverage of the game and one-on-one interviews following all the action.