Two years after a contentious search for a head football coach, Florida A&M University is once again looking to fill the role.

On Monday, the university announced it would part ways with head coach James Colzie III. In his two seasons at Florida A&M, the Rattlers never matched the standard set by his predecessor, 2023 Celebration Bowl-winning head coach Willie Simmons.

Over Colzie’s tenure, Florida A&M went 12-12 overall and 9-7 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). This season, the Rattlers (5-7) failed to finish above .500 for the first time since 2017. Last season, a particularly notable low for the program came in November 2024, when Mississippi Valley State snapped FAMU’s 23-game home win streak.

FAMU has named offensive coordinator Henry Burris acting head coach. With students and alumni eager to see their team return to the top of the conference, Florida A&M’s next hire will be under pressure to reestablish the team as a national championship contender. Here are five candidates Florida A&M should consider for head coach this time around:

Quinn Gray

As a former quarterback for the Rattlers, Albany State head coach Quinn Gray set Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference records that stand today, and he understands the culture of Florida A&M football in a way most potential head coaching candidates don’t.

Gray recently led Albany State to a 12-win season and the quarterfinals of the Division II playoffs. In three seasons with the Golden Rams, he is 24-11 overall. Gray’s prior experience as a quarterbacks coach for Alcorn State and senior offensive analyst for the University of Memphis will help him transition to Division I coaching. Head coaches Chennis Berry and Tremaine Jackson’s immediate success in jumping from Division II to Division I has opened the doors for other Division II head coaches to get more opportunities. Gray should be one of them.

Ja’Juan Seider

Ja’Juan Seider, Notre Dame’s associate head coach and running backs coach, is viewed as one of the nation’s premier recruiters and an up-and-coming future head coach. Seider has more than 25 years of coaching experience and has deep Florida A&M ties – he played for the Rattlers under former head coach Billy Joe.

Seider, the 1999 MEAC Offensive Player of the Year, was one of the last quarterbacks from a historically Black college or university selected in the NFL draft. His résumé includes working as running backs coach, co-offensive coordinator and assistant head coach for a Penn State team that made the College Football Playoff in 2024. After seeing the success former Florida A&M head coach Simmons is having at the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level with Florida International, leading the Rattlers would be an enticing job for Seider to get his head coaching start.

Tremaine Jackson

Prairie View A&M head coach Tremaine Jackson is the first-year HBCU coach who had the most success this season, leading the Panthers to their first Celebration Bowl appearance. In one season, he rebuilt Prairie View A&M’s defense into the best total defense in the SWAC. Jackson is one of the most well-respected coaches in the conference, and his coaching philosophy of discipline and toughness is the culture shift the Rattlers need as their program looks to return to success.

Jackson was rumored as a potential candidate when Simmons’ departure left the head coaching job open in early 2024. With a potential Black college football national championship in play this weekend, Jackson should be the Rattlers’ first phone call for their vacancy.

DeSean Jackson

In his first year leading Delaware State (8-4 overall, 4-1 MEAC), DeSean Jackson took a team that was last in the MEAC standings in 2024 and turned it into the 2025 conference runner-up.

The former NFL Pro Bowler has proven he can rebuild a program, and with the excitement and attention around his name, he should be a top candidate for Florida A&M. FAMU needs a recruiter who can compete with SWAC East schools such as Jackson State and Alabama State, and Jackson’s name and connections could help the Rattlers dominate South Florida talent again. Jackson also has family ties to Florida; his father, Bill Jackson, went to Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach. However, Florida A&M likely would need to make a serious financial commitment to lure Jackson away from Delaware State.

Larry Scott

Before taking over at Howard in 2020, head coach Larry Scott spent the first 15 years of his coaching career in Florida, with stops at South Florida, Florida and Miami. In 2022, his second full season with the Bison, Scott led them to a share of the MEAC championship; in 2023, he led them to the Celebration Bowl.

Although Howard lost the Celebration Bowl to Florida A&M, Scott has proven he knows how to make it there. After his last two seasons at Howard, in which he went 9-15 overall, a change of scenery back to his home state of Florida could be good for Scott and allow him to use his extensive recruiting ties there to help the Rattlers rebuild their program.

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