Florida International University has officially announced the hiring of Willie Simmons as the new head football coach. Simmons, previously an assistant at Duke and former head coach at Florida A&M, takes over from Mike MacIntyre, who was let go after three seasons marked by challenges, including three consecutive 4-8 finishes. With ambitions of moving to FBS coaching and a successful tenure at FAMU that included a championship, Simmons looks to revitalise the FIU football program as part of the ongoing trend of HBCU coaches transitioning to higher levels in college football.