Less than a week after being commissioned, the committee tasked with helping find the next FAMU football coach has narrowed the field.
A nine-member search committee cut down a list of 45 potential candidates to five on Sunday. The candidates were presented by Renaissance Search and Consulting, a search firm responsible for combing through potential coaches.
“We weren’t sure we were going to get this many in the pool,” Committee Chair Dr. Donald Palm said on Sunday’s Zoom call. “I think we really overachieved what I expected, and I’m excited that we have 45 strong candidates for this position.”
The candidates were not named in the nearly-hour long process, and the members of the committee were instructed not to leak the names of the candidates or the search may have to be re-started. The candidates will be passed along to FAMU President Dr. Larry Robinson and VP of Intercollegiate Athletics Tiffani-Dawn Sykes as they look to fill the role vacated by Willie Simmons when he left for a job as running backs coach at Duke University. Candidates number 14, 16, 18, 34, and 45 were passed along.
Although the candidates were not named, some of their attributes were outlined on Sunday. Four of the five candidates have won SWAC football titles in their careers, according to Renaissance Vice President of Athletics Adam Gordon.
FAMU Search Committee
COO Dr. Donald Palm, Committee Chair
Selvin Cobb, Rattler Boosters President
Kelvin Dean Jr., FAMU football player
Eddie Jackson, 220 Quarterback Club President
Curtis Johnson Jr., FAMU National Alumni Association President
Lisa LaBoo, FAMU Foundation Board of Directors Chair
Kyla Ligon, FAMU Student Government Association Representative
Ebenezer Oriaku, FAMU Faculty Athletic Representative
Curtis Taylor, Rattler F Club President