Courtesy of FAMU Athletics
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. —— After seven seasons leading the FAMU men’s basketball program, head coach Robert McCullum will not return to the Rattlers. Vice President and Director of Athletics Tiffani-Dawn Sykes announced Wednesday that McCullum’s contract, which expires June 30, will not be renewed.
“I want to thank Coach McCullum for his dedication to FAMU and our basketball student-athletes,” said Sykes. “He has led this program with integrity and has positively influenced countless young men, both players and coaches. We wish Coach McCullum and his family the very best in the future.”
McCullum’s teams posted a record of 67-133 during his seven seasons with the Rattlers, including a 53-61 mark in conference play. In 2021, McCullum was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.
A search committee will be established and tasked to conduct a national search for the next head coach of the Florida A&M men’s basketball program immediately.
Robert McCullum was named the head men’s basketball coach at Florida A&M University in May 2017.
McCullum, a Birmingham, Alabama native, led the Rattlers to a winning conference record for four straight seasons (18-19, 19-20, 20-21, 21-22). The Rattlers have not had a winning record in conference play since the 2006-2007 season.
In 2021-22, McCullum coached the Rattlers to the fourth-best record in the Rattlers’ inaugural season in the SWAC with an 11-7 record, including a seven-game win streak, which was the longest win streak for the Rattlers since the ’88-89 season. McCullum also coached the SWAC Player of the Year in MJ Randolph. Randolph was also named to the All-SWAC First Team, NABC All-District Team, BOXTOROW All-American and was a Lou Henson Award finalist. Randolph was also one of 40 to receive an invitation to the NBA G League Elite Camp. McCullum also coached DJ Jones and Bryce Moragne, who participated in events at the NCAA Final Four (Jones in HBCU All-Star Game, Moragne in 3x3U National Championship).
After the 2020-21 season, McCullum was named the MEAC Coach of the Year and coached MJ Randolph to the All-MEAC First Team and Defensive Team. Randolph was also named a BOXTOROW All-American. Also, Jalen Speer was named to the All-MEAC Freshman Team.
During the 2019-20 season, McCullum coached the Ratters to a 10-6 conference record, the sixth-best conference winning percentage in the program’s history. Before conference play, the Rattlers traveled to Ames, Iowa, to defeat Iowa State 70-68. McCullum coached Rod Melton Jr. to the All-MEAC Second Team.
During the 2018-19 season, McCullum coached FAMU to their first winning conference record (9-7) since the 2006-07 season. McCullum coached Justin Ravenel to the All-MEAC First Team, and MJ Randolph was named the MEAC Freshman of the Year.
Robert McCullum Bio
McCullum got his start in coaching in the high school ranks before taking his first collegiate coaching job at South Alabama in 1983.
After a one-year stint with the Jaguars, McCullum moved to Samford for the 1984 season before returning to South Alabama, where he stayed as an assistant until 1987.
He then joined the staff at Southern Illinois from 1988-1989 before becoming an assistant coach under Lon Kruger at Kansas State in 1990. McCullum followed Kruger to the University of Florida, where he was an assistant from 1991-1996 and once more worked under Kruger at Illinois from 1996-2000.
In 2000, McCullum was named the head coach at Western Michigan, where he remained for three seasons. In 2003, he led the Broncos to a 20-win season and an NIT berth.
McCullum was hired as the head men’s basketball coach at the University of South Florida on April 18, 2003. He spent four seasons with the Bulls.
After South Florida, McCullum coached the Nigerian Men’s National Basketball Team, leading the team to a 4-1 record at the 2007 All-Africa Games. McCullum joined the staff at San Francisco for one season in 2007 before moving on to be an assistant coach at the University of Central Florida in 2009.
In 2010, McCullum became an assistant coach for the Georgia Tech men’s basketball team, and then he became an assistant for the Guangzhou Long-Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association in 2011. In addition, McCullum also was an assistant coach at the University of Oregon from 2014 to 2017.
McCullum earned a bachelor’s degree at Birmingham Southern College in 1976 and a master’s degree from Alabama State in 1980. He played two seasons at Seminole Community College in Sanford, Fla., where he was the team captain as a sophomore and earned his associate’s degree in 1974.
McCullum and his wife Cheryl have two children, Richelle and Rashid.