FIU appointed a new leader capable of guiding the team toward winning success.
The previous Clemson quarterback exhibited strong leadership as the head coach at Prairie View A&M and demonstrated further improvement over the past three seasons at Florida A&M. He is well-qualified and long overdue for an opportunity to serve as a head coach at the FBS level. Throughout his eight years as a head coach, he has maintained a consistent record of no losing seasons.
Over the course of 21 seasons as an FBS program, FIU has achieved a winning record on four occasions—twice under head coach Butch Davis and twice under head coach Mario Cristobal—each pair occurring in consecutive years.
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However, it was not sustainable. For now, after winning only 13 games over five seasons, achieving more than four wins for the first time since 2019 would be considered an improvement. Although there is a new head coach and several new players, this goal remains attainable.
Last year’s team outscored its opponents, but only achieved four wins. The key reasons included five losses by a single score, such as a disappointing defensive performance against Monmouth, a 30-21 loss to a UTEP team that only won three games, and a narrow one-point defeat to a less competitive Kennesaw State.
Simmons may be sufficient to improve FIU’s performance by two additional wins.
Photo/CoachWillieSimmons/X
