Dec. 07, 2024 13:28 PM EST

Florida International Announces Hiring Of Willie Simmons As Football Coach

FILE - Then-Florida A&M head coach Willie Simmons stands with the trophy after the Orange Blossom Classic NCAA college football game against Jackson State, Sunday, Sept. 3, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File) Lynne Sladky, ASSOCIATED PRESS
FILE - Then-Florida A&M head coach Willie Simmons stands with the trophy after the Orange Blossom Classic NCAA college football game against Jackson State, Sunday, Sept. 3, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

MIAMI (AP) — Florida International hired Willie Simmons as its football coach on Saturday.

The public university did not immediately release terms of its agreement with Simmons, who spent this season as the running backs coach at Duke.

Simmons went 45-13 as the head coach at Florida A&M between 2018 and 2023, leading the Rattlers to a pair of HBCU national championships. A former Clemson quarterback, Simmons also has coached collegiately at Prairie View A&M, Alcorn State, Middle Tennessee State and his alma mater.

At FIU, Simmons is replacing Mike MacIntyre. He was fired earlier this month after three seasons, all of them seeing the Panthers finish with 4-8 records.

FIU has finished with a losing record in 17 of its 21 football seasons. The only coaches to have a winning season at FIU are Mario Cristobal and Butch Davis; both did it twice.

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