After parting ways with head coach Robert McCullum in March, Florida A&M (FAMU) has formed a committee to conduct a national search for the next head coach of the Rattler’s men’s basketball program.
Hoopdirt, a site dedicated to the latest college basketball coaching news, rumors, and job postings posted an article with its odds on who they believe might become the next head coach for FAMU basketball. There are several familiar HBCU coaching names on the list.
HOOP DIRT ODDS FOR FAMU NEXT HC
| Odds | Name | Current Job | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| +275 | Mike Davis | Former Head Coach Detroit Mercy | Veteran head coach is 437-256 (.631) in 21 seasons (St. John’s, Arkansas, Mizzou, UAB). He was named as the NABC National Coach of the Year following Mizzou’s Elite 8 run in 2009 and captured Big East COY honors in 2021. |
| +375 | Kevin Nickelberry | Assistant Coach Florida State | Former head coach at Howard (2010-19) and Hampton (2007-09). Has also been an assistant at Georgetown, LSU, Clemson, Charlotte, and DePaul |
| +425 | Will Jones | Former Head Coach – NC A&T | Was the head coach at NC A&T from 2019-22 – 37-35 (.514). Captured MEAC COY honor in 2020. Spent 2015-16 as an assistant at FAMU. |
| +550 | Mike Anderson | Former Head Coach St. John’s | Veteran head coach is 437-256 (.631) in 21 seasons (St. John’s, Arkansas, Mizzou, UAB). He was named as the NABC National Coach of the Year following Mizzou’s Elite 8 run in 2009 and captured Big East COY honors in 2021. |
| +700 | Lonnie Blow | Head Coach Virginia State | Has spent the past ten seasons at VSU – 192-94 (.671). Also spent 3yrs at St. Augustine – 62-27 (.697). |
| +700 | Bobby Collins | Head Coach Shaw University | Has been at Shaw for the past three seasons. Also been the head coach at Hampton, UMES, and Winston-Salem State. |
| +875 | Patrick Crarey II | Head Coach St. Thomas U (FL) | 61-27 (.714) in three seasons at STU. Spent 10 seasons as the HC at Washington Adventist before that. Captured the 2013-14 USCAA National Championship. |
| +3500 | A coach not on this list | I’m feeling pretty confident that the new coach will come from this group, but you never know… |
Get to know the candidates with HBCU coaching experience who might be the next leader of the FAMU basketball program.
MIKE DAVIS
In his six seasons at Texas Southern, he posted a 115-89 (.564) record, including an 88-20 mark in conference play. His teams won four regular-season titles and four conference tournament championships advancing to four NCAA Tournaments. In his final season at the helm of TSU, the Tigers won their first-ever NCAA Tournament game defeating North Carolina Central in the First Four.
Under his leadership, five Tigers were named the SWAC Player of the Year, a feat which had never occurred in the league and was the fourth-longest streak in the history of the NCAA. In addition, 11 earned All-League honors, three were tabbed the Defensive Players of the Year, two were selected the Newcomer of the Year and one was picked the Freshmen of the Year.
KEVIN NICKLEBERRY
Kevin Nickelberry, a veteran coach with more than 30 years of experience in the ACC, SEC and Big East, is in his first season as an assistant coach at Florida State. Nickelberry has coaching experience as both a head coach and as an assistant coach at the highest levels of college basketball, with nearly 200 career wins and appearances in both the NCAA and CBI Tournaments as a head coach.
He was the head coach at Howard University (2010-19), Hampton University (2007-09), and the Columbia Union Women’s Team (1991-94). He has served as an assistant coach at Howard (1997-98), Monmouth University (1999), Charlotte (2002-03), and Clemson (2004-06), before being named as the head coach at Hampton.
WILL JONES
During his time as the acting head coach during the 2019-20 season, Jones led the Aggies to a 14-5 record overall and 12-4 mark in the MEAC as the Aggies entered the MEAC tournament as the No. 2 seed. The tournament was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but before the cancelation, Jones did lead the Aggies to a first-round win over Howard.
N.C. A&T’s 12 wins in the MEAC marked the most ever by a first-year Aggies head coach. N.C. A&T ended the 2019-20 season by leading the conference in scoring offense, 3-point field goal percentage defense, rebounding offense, assists, steals, turnover margin, assist-to-turnover ratio and defensive rebounds.
LONNIE BLOW
Coach Blow, Jr. is the first head coach in CIAA basketball history to win a conference championship at two different CIAA institutions and he holds four CIAA Coach of the Year awards, including three with the Trojans. Coach Blow, Jr. won his first CIAA Tournament Championship and was awarded his first CIAA Coach of the Year honor in 2009-10 with St. Augustine’s.
BOBBY COLLINS
Before Collins arrived, the Bears were 5-23 overall. In his first season, the Bears were 10-11 overall which was a five-game improvement from the previous season.
Collins comes to Shaw after serving as assistant men’s basketball coach at South Carolina State University for two seasons. Before South Carolina State, Collins spent four years as head coach at Maryland-Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, Md.