When teams came calling this offseason, including an assistant coaching opportunity in the Southeastern Conference, Willie Simmons remained faithful to the Florida A&M program.
On Thursday, Simmons was rewarded in kind. Simmons was among three Rattlers' head coaches awarded a contract extension, according to FAMU athletics director Kortne Gosha, in a school announcement.
The extension keeps Simmons under contract atop the Rattlers' program through the 2025 season. Financial terms, as well as any buyout stipulations, were not disclosed.
Heralded for his community work in Tallahassee, Florida, perhaps as much as his on-field success – which includes a sparkling 9-2 2019 season that included final placement in the Football Championship Subdivision top 25 polls, Simmons has won 15 games in two seasons as FAMU's head coach.
Previously, Simmons – courted this past offseason for an assistant coaching post on Shane Beamer's South Carolina staff, among others – served as head coach at Prairie View A&M.
A Tallahassee native, Simmons is set to lead the Rattlers into their third season of his charge. FAMU did not participate in this spring season, but is scheduled to open its 2021 campaign in a rather notable contest – opposite Deion Sanders' Jackson State program at the Orange Blossom Classic in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Sept. 5.
FAMU also announced extensions for its men's and women's basketball coaches.