FAMU interim James Colzie III hopeful to get opportunity as Rattlers' next football coach
Riding around campus on a golf cart, checking classrooms to ensure players attend.
Meetings with recruits, parents, and players.
Watch and support the team during workouts.
Fill out scholarship paperwork.
That’s just a short list of what James Colzie III’s days entail since being appointed as Florida A&M’s interim head football coach on Jan. 1.
While he didn’t expect his 2024 to begin with him being the overseer of the Rattlers football program, Colzie is cherishing the opportunity as FAMU searches for its next head coach to replace Willie Simmons. The former FAMU head coach departed to be Duke’s running backs coach on New Year’s Day after six years with the Rattlers.
FAMU has assembled a head football coach search committee of university stakeholders and attained search firm Renaissance Search and Consulting to assist Vice President and Director of Athletics Tiffani-Dawn Sykes in the hiring process.
The committee and firm recommended five candidates of 45 applicants, in numerical form, to VP/AD Sykes and FAMU President Dr. Larry Robinson for interviews.
But in the meantime, Colzie is keeping FAMU's Galimore-Powell Fieldhouse in order.
“[Sykes] told me I’m in the chair, and I need to treat it as such,” Colzie said in a one-on-one interview with the Tallahassee Democrat Monday night.
“I had to buckle down on all the non-football related things Coach Simmons had to worry about. That’s part of the job description of ensuring guys are where they need to be and doing what they’re asked to do."
FAMU players have consistently advocated for Colzie to become the Rattlers’ 19th full-time head football coach.
The team has written letters to university administration and repeatedly spoken in favor of Colzie to get the head coach nod. They feel Colzie gives them a chance to retain its Southwestern Athletic Conference and Black College Football National Championship-winning returning players and coaching staff.
Rattlers running back Kelvin Dean Jr., who won the HBCU Celebration Bowl Offensive Most Valuable Player, is on FAMU’s football coach search committee, which has met three times thus far.
Additionally, FAMU quarterback Junior Muratovic, tight end Jeremiah Pruitte, and offensive lineman Jalen Goss communicated their desire for Colzie to be named coach during VP/AD Sykes' search update at Jan. 16's Board of Trustees meeting.
The quartet of players all play on offense. Colzie has coached the defense's cornerbacks since joining the staff in 2022 and added assistant head coach to his title this past season.
“I know more about them than what they do football-wise,” Colzie said of his connection with players. “They want to go with familiarity, which is good because we’ve had success. Guys aren’t going to play for you until they realize how much you care about them. They know my heart’s pure, and I want the best for them, whether on the football field, academic side, or socially.
“These players don’t want to lose that. And this isn’t a place I want to leave.”
As FAMU’s search committee has publicly streamed its meetings on Zoom, Colzie says he hasn’t followed the process unless the information has been pieced together and reported to him by friends, family, or players.
The former Florida State Seminoles football and baseball player is hopeful he’s in play to interview for FAMU’s head coaching vacancy to lead the Rattlers back to the mountaintop of HBCU football.
Colzie has 23 years of coaching experience, including seven years of head coaching at St. Mary's University in Canada from 2016 to 2022. He led the Huskies to a 23-19 record and appeared in two Atlantic University Sport championships, according to his FAMU Athletics profile.
At FAMU, Colzie coached Rattlers All-American cornerback Kendall Bohler and All-SWAC cornerback Eric Smith this past season.
Colzie’s cornerbacks helped FAMU head associate coach and head coach of the defense, Ryan Smith's 'Dark Cloud Defense' rank second in Football Championship Subdivision total defense in 2023.
“There are some people in my corner, and that’s truly a blessing,” Colzie said. “I didn’t think it would be easy or handed to me because this is a big-time job with many eyes on it. There are a lot of other really good candidates.
“It sounds like the firm and committee made some good decisions that might’ve gone my way. It’ll be quite an honor to be the 19th head football coach here at Florida A&M.
"Ultimately, it’s up to the President and the AD. And hopefully, when they decide, James Colzie is the person they say.”
FAMU begins preparation for 2024 football season as coaching search ramps up
Alongside Simmons' departure, FAMU also lost director of recruiting, Devin Rispress on Jan. 11 to become Colorado’s assistant director of player personnel and high school relations on head coach Deion Sanders’ staff.
Rispress fielded one of the top recruiting classes in the FCS for the Rattlers last season.
So, Colzie is picking up the slack of the departed FAMU recruiter in efforts to replicate Rispress’ expertise.
The Miami native Colzie has upcoming recruiting trips to his hometown and Kansas to evaluate prospective student-athletes. Meanwhile, FAMU offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Joseph Henry will travel to Texas.
“We didn’t stop recruiting,” Colzie said. “We have to add some pieces without a doubt. But we have many veterans still here. So, I don’t want people to forget that we still have some really good players on this football team.”
While the team awaits its next head coach, FAMU players are already beginning their preparation to repeat as SWAC and HBCU champions in 2024.
Team workouts began on Jan. 16 and are four times a week.
Galimore-Powell Fieldhouse’s weight room was packed with players getting lifts on Monday night as FAMU director of sports performance Cole Forney led the session.
“We’re making sure these guys are sharpening up on the details,” Colzie said as he watched the players work out. “Those are the things we’re harping on.”
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 interim Colzie hopes to get nod as head coach
