An announcement of Florida A&M’s 19th full-time head football coach has to wait as the search continues for the Rattlers’ next leader.

In Tuesday’s special meeting of the university's Board of Trustees, FAMU Vice President and Director of Athletics Tiffani-Dawn Sykes announced that she’ll utilize a search firm to identify the Rattlers’ next head football coach to replace Willie Simmons.

Additionally, the FAMU Board of Trustees passed a motion for university President Dr. Larry Robinson to establish a search committee to work with Sykes.

That group will be represented by presidents of FAMU direct support organizations ― National Alumni Association, Rattler F Club, 220 Quarterback Club, Rattler Boosters, and FAMU Foundation to ensure inclusivity and transparency for university constituents.

The move comes after alumni, fans and donors expressed concerns about the transparency of the process and the apparent coach selection by Sykes.

“If the process had been clean and untainted in the very beginning, we would not be asking for these things,” said FAMU Board of Trustees Vice Chair Deveron Gibbons.

Sykes said she intends to have a head coach named by National Signing Day Feb. 7 to replace Simmons, who resigned on Jan. 1 to be Duke’s running backs coach.

Assistant head coach James Colzie III is the Rattlers’ interim head coach while the search proceeds.

“It is clear that we have the same goal. We all want what’s best for our athletes and championship football program,” Sykes said during the one hour, 45-minute-long meeting.

“I’m willing to do what is needed to continue developing relations and building trust with our constituents. Your valuable feedback will be combined with my vision for the role and requirements for the job to allow the search firm to identify candidates that fit our collective desire to profile.”

Sykes did not specify the name of the search firm. However, President Robinson anticipates the cost to be around $50,000.

Sykes added that she prepared to recommend a candidate for hire to President Robinson. Robinson and FAMU Board of Trustee Chair Kristin Harper interviewed the candidate and supported Sykes’ decision.

She said several candidates were considered for FAMU’s head football coach vacancy.

While Sykes didn’t specify the candidate, last Thursday, FAMU National Alumni Association President Curtis Johnson Jr. confirmed that Fort Valley head football coach Shawn Gibbs had a pending recommendation to head coach the Rattlers football team.

Gibbs renewed his contract with Fort Valley, according to a release by the university’s athletic department late Monday night.

Tuesday's meeting included a public comments forum that allowed the audience to voice their opinions on the ongoing search for a head football coach.

Three FAMU football players spoke on the team’s behalf: quarterback Junior Muratovic, tight end Jeremiah Pruitte, and offensive lineman Jalen Goss.

All reaffirmed their endorsement of Colzie being upgraded to head coach of FAMU football, hoping to maintain their roster and coaching staff to repeat as Southwestern Athletic Conference and HBCU Celebration Bowl champions.

“We shouldn’t overthink this,” said Pruitte, a rising graduate student. “I speak on behalf of my teammates, so for guys like us, when it comes down to if we’re staying or leaving, that’s all based on the decision to hire a head coach. We’d like it to be answered quickly because this is our future we’re dealing with.

“It's pretty clear to everybody that Coach Colzie is an obvious and clear choice.”

Colzie, a former two-sport athlete in football (1993-1996) and baseball (1994) at Florida State, confirmed last Friday that he’s been in talks with Sykes for the FAMU’s head football coach job.

The Miami native joined the Rattlers coaching staff in 2022, spoke with optimism and hope that he’ll be appointed to lead the team permanently.

“Every day that we don’t have a coach, we’re falling behind our competition,” graduate student Goss said. “With this whole coaching situation, we plan to keep what we have to run it back and bring back the national championship. To do that, we need a coach that will keep our assistant coaches.

“Our program is not broken on or off the field.”

Simmons hasn't been FAMU's only coach to depart.

Last Friday, the Rattlers’ director of recruiting, Devin Rispress, left FAMU to become an assistant director of player personnel and high school relations for coach Deion Sanders’ Colorado staff.

Rispress’ departure adds more pressure on FAMU’s head football coach as it holds significant ramifications for the looming Feb. 7 signing day, which is three weeks away.

“I know the effect this is having on recruiting by losing [players] that were previously committed to us because of the timing and longevity of the process,” rising redshirt junior Muratovic said.

“Coach Colzie is the candidate for this job to be able to put a good product on the field.”

Gerald Thomas, III covers Florida A&M University Athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at gdthomas@tallahassee.com or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee.

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU Football: Rattlers obtaining firm, use committee for coach hire