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Op-Ed: FAMU President’s athletics legacy hinges on AD decision

Make no doubt about it, FAMU President Larry Robinson, Ph.D.’s legacy in athletics as the president of Florida A&M University will be shaped by the selection Vice President and Director of Athletics Tiffani-Dawn Sykes makes for the next head football coach. 

Robinson, who served three terms as Interim President of FAMU, was named the permanent president on Nov. 30, 2017 by the FAMU Board of Trustees.  He was chosen because of a solid history of bailing the university out of undesirable positions.  During one of his tenures, he successfully guided FAMU out of SACS probation and onto solid ground. His methodologies as a scientist translated well in improving processes on campus as well as attaining performance metrics put forth by the state board of education and the Florida Board of Governors.  Some of those metrics had never been met before his taking the permanent position.

His tenure is highly decorated while guiding the university.  FAMU has regained its title of No.1 Public HBCU for the fifth consecutive time as determined by U.S. News and World Report.  Funding from achieving the state’s education metrics has been consistent.  The university’s governmental lobbying arm has performed well, bringing in record contributions from the state legislature.

The student body loves their president.  He has become a social media sensation, endearing himself to the FAMU students.  He connects with them by speaking their language at times, making savvy and funny social media posts, and showing up to their events and participating with them.  Campaigns such as “That’s on Larry” have caught on and endeared him to the general FAMU student body.

Alumni admire his guidance at the university.  With so many years of uncertainty at the presidency of the university, he is a breath of fresh air.  While the university still has its share of issues, he and his team have navigated them with a doctor’s precision.  Again, his doctorate in nuclear chemistry has assisted his methodologies for solving issues.

He is internationally known for his prowess in academia.  In 2007-2009, Dr. Robinson served as senior scientific advisor at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service.  In May 2010,  he served as assistant secretary of Commerce for Conservation and Management at NOAA. That was a position that required U.S. Senate confirmation as he was appointed in the Obama administration.  He supported and managed NOAA’s coastal and marine programs, including marine sanctuaries for preserving areas of special national significance, fisheries management, and preparation of nautical charts. He also supported NOAA’s participation in addressing the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. 

Robinson’s hiring of Eason set athletics on a solid trajectory

After becoming permanent President of FAMU in 2017, his bringing in of John Eason, Ph.D as FAMU Director of Athletics was one of his first tasks as president.  Eason’s term yielded some big results for FAMU.  One of the first achievements for Eason was to hire a football coach.  He decided to forego the search committee as his decades as a player, coach, coordinator, and athletics administrator dictated that he had the experience to do so.  After a short search, he returned with one recommendation, and it was a slam dunk for Rattler Nation.  He interviewed just one candidate…Willie Simmons. 

Eason said he had followed Simmons’s career since their interaction in college where they were on opposing teams.  “He was the quarterback at Clemson when we played them and I was coaching at (the University of) Georgia.  He was so good it caused us to go for a controversial fourth down deep in our own territory as we felt we could not keep Clemson out of the end zone with him at the helm,” Eason said.  They had a mutual respect from that point and Eason followed his ascension to head coach at Prairie View A&M.

FAMU

With a swift and decisive move, Eason lured Simmons home to Tallahassee.  FAMU had endured consecutive losing seasons and the orange helmets had been tainted by underperformance.  In Simmons’ inaugural season of 2018, he went 6-5 to break the cycle of losing seasons.  This was a big achievement as the team he inherited was still crippled by sanctions to the program that were heavily realized, but not attributed to Alex Wood. 

Eason would also put in motion the cycle of activities that led to new artificial turf to replace the wilting natural grass that had been a problem at Bragg Stadium for some time.

From there Simmons would hit stride and go 9-2 in 2019.  With the self-imposed sanctions, the Rattlers were not allowed to enjoy postseason play.  2020 would bring the cancellation of the season with the covid-19 pandemic and a change in conference as athletics director Kortne Gosha navigated the move in conferences for financial benefits.

In 2021 Simmons went 9-2 in the regular season and reached the NCAA FCS playoffs.  In 2022 the Rattlers would repeat their 9-2 record but were snubbed from the playoffs.  

2023 was the culmination of six years of growth for FAMU Football

2023 was the banner year for the Rattlers under Simmons.  The team went 10-1 in the regular season, barely losing to the University of South Florida, an FBS program that won a bowl game this season and nearly defeated the University of Alabama.  The Rattlers would host the SWAC Championship and win it for the first time in school history.  Two weeks later, things would peak as the Rattlers finally made their first Cricket Celebration Bowl and took home the undisputed crown of Division-I HBCU National Champions.

As president of the university, as Simmons brought the football program back from irrelevance, Robinson’s profile rose.  It is the cycle of college administration all over the country.  While fans and alumni nationwide appreciate and celebrate the academic achievements of a university, athletics is what they are passionate about.  The success or failure of athletics has often been a major factor in determining a presidency…it’s sad, but a fact.

Thus, Robinson can already see that despite being the No.1 Public HBCU and reaching No. 91 overall in U.S. Public Institutions, nothing can compare to the passion the FAMU alumni, fans, and friends have for athletics.  It’s the nature of the business.

With that said, allowing his athletics director who has not been a player, has not been a celebrated coach, has not been a coordinator, and has very little history with FAMU to independently choose the successor to a popular and national championship coach, will be a defining moment in Robinson’s FAMU legacy in the realm of athletics.

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