Florida A&M has secured a search firm to assist with hiring its next head football coach.

The Rattlers' football coach search committee, chaired by FAMU Chief Operating Officer and Vice President Dr. Donald Palm, announced in Thursday’s meeting that Renaissance Search and Consulting will assist in identifying candidates to replace Willie Simmons.

Simmons resigned from FAMU to become Duke’s running backs coach on Jan. 1.

Thursday was the search committee’s second meeting since being motioned by FAMU Board of Trustees to aid Vice President, Director of Athletics Tiffani-Dawn Sykes and the search firm in landing the Rattlers’ 19th full-time head coach.

The search committee features eight representatives across various FAMU-affiliated direct support organizations.

Sykes aims to name a coach by Feb. 7's National Signing Day.

Renaissance Search and Consulting was founded in 2020 by former University of Delaware and professional basketball player Herb Courtney II. Courtney, alongside Renaissance Vice President of Athletics Adam Gordon, was present for Thursday’s meeting to introduce themselves to the search committee.

“We’ve worked with a lot of great leaders and seen a lot,” Courtney said. “Our focus is making sure we understand what’s critically important to the institution and the stakeholders and fine-tune our search.”

Renaissance has since posted the application for FAMU’s head football coach vacancy on its website. The firm aims to identify qualified applicants to lead the defending Southwestern Athletic Conference and HBCU Celebration Bowl champions.

Renaissance will propose the names to FAMU athletics leadership and the search committee.

Since 2020, Renaissance Search and Consulting has assisted 15 NCAA organizations in hires, including Power Five program Vanderbilt (SEC) and Division I HBCU programs Grambling State (SWAC), South Carolina State (MEAC), and Morgan State (MEAC).

Additionally, Courtney mentioned that Renaissance assisted last July's hire of FAMU head women’s basketball coach Bridgette Gordon.

On the professional sports level, Renaissance has served teams such as the NFL’s Miami Dolphins and the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks. Courtney also said Renaissance has worked with sports corporations like Nike.

FAMU’s head football coach search committee and Renaissance Search and Consulting will next meet on Sunday at 3 p.m., where they will narrow down three to five names of interest to coach the Rattlers football team.

FAMU Head Football Coach 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

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: Search firm hired to aid in landing Rattlers' next coach