By Vaughn Wilson
With the departure of Willie Simmons for Duke University, Florida A&M has embarked on a search for the new head coach of the national champion football team. It shouldn’t look far, he’s right under their noses. Billy Rolle should be the next head football coach at FAMU.
When Willie Simmons took the helm of the Rattlers in 2018, he did it bringing in Rolle as his special assistant to the head coach and nickelbacks (defensive back) coach. That was due to the reputation, knowledge, and accomplishment of Rolle. A FAMU Sports Hall of Famer for his play on the field as a defensive back for coach Rudy Hubbard, Rolle has been a pillar in the FAMU fold. His entire family is engulfed in the FAMUly. Rolle is there in plain sight, but is not a flashy guy and often shies away from the spotlight.
ROLLE HAS A HISTORIC LEGACY OF COACHING
Rolle has the distinction of being the only coach in Florida High School Football history to win state championships at three different high schools. He did it in Miami, the hotbed of high school football talent. His list of accomplishments (some listed at the end of this article) makes him one of the most decorated coaches around.
Billy Rolle was head coach of Miami Killian, Miami Southridge, and the juggernaut in Miami Northwestern High School. He won two state championships at Northwestern with high school player of the year Jacory Harris and was ranked the USA Today No.1 school in the country. He also coached Teddy Bridgewater and Amari Cooper during his time in Miami. His familiarity with the current coaches in Miami has resulted in recruiting successes for FAMU. Not only is FAMU getting more players out of Miami as high schoolers, they are also returning through the transfer portal because of the foundation of Rolle’s relationships.
In one of the most publicized high school games in ESPN history, Rolle took his USA Today No.2 ranked Northwestern team to face No.1 Southlake Carroll in Texas. Rolle and the Bulls would defeat Southlake Carroll and earn the No.1 ranking in the entire country. All correspondents equated the game to a small college game because of the wealth of talent on both teams.
BILLY ROLLE WAS SIMMONS’ RIGHT HAND DURING HIS COACHING TENURE
When Simmons came to FAMU, he put a system in place. He was not only building a great team but also setting in place a program that could achieve sustainable success at FAMU. We saw the sustained success under Willie Simmons. The last thing FAMU needs right now is someone to come in and implement a new philosophy. We’ve seen several of them over the last decade and we prefer Simmons’ system.
FAMU has a tremendous amount of momentum, even in Willie Simmons departure. FAMU Alumni have shown that they want to continue winning. Putting up over $125,000+ in less than 36 hours screams of a fanbase that is invested in the program.
Besides winning, which was important, probably Simmons’ biggest asset was his approachability. FAMUans loved Simmons’ accountability, accessibility, and respect for the FAMU history and culture. He knew FAMU very well and it got folks excited. Well, Rolle knows it even better and he is beloved by FAMU Alumni as well. He is loved by the players and respected by his fellow coaches. His demeanor is exactly what FAMU loves.
ROLLE ALREADY FITS INTO THE FAMU CULTURE
Most folks I have talked to since even the rumors of Willie Simmons leaving talked about how much they like Simmons. Being a winner is one thing, but fitting in the culture is what makes folks cheer for, love, and spend their money to support. It’s also the reason the Rattler nation has sent Simmons with best wishes on his journey.
I do not work at FAMU and haven’t since 2019, but since five years old, I have been on FAMU’s campus. I can’t recall a home game I’ve missed since probably 1970. I’ve seen folks come and go and have made relationships with many of them. Several seasoned Rattlers have seen me grow up at FAMU from Roosevelt Wilson’s son to writing columns like him.
One thing my father always stressed to me, is always feel free to express your opinion, no matter if it hurts the feelings of others. He would say my opinion, is my opinion. Further, he always implored me to base my opinion on facts, not emotions. With 45 wins in five years, it is a fact that Simmons installed a great program at FAMU…a system of winning. The facts point to Billy Rolle as the next FAMU head coach to come in and continue the system, while building his own legacy.
A partial list of Rolle’s accomplishments as a coach: Florida Dairy Farmers Florida Coach of the Year 2008; Florida State’s Coach of the Year 2008; National High School Football Coach of the Year by American Football; Monthly, a publication associated with Schutt Sports. 2008; Louie Bing Scholarship Award (10th Annual) February 2007; Coached in the Team USA Football 2007; Head Coach Dade vs. Broward Nike All-Star Game 2007; FAMU Sports Hall of Fame 2003; Head Coach Dade vs. Broward All-Star Game 2001; Educator of the Year 2000 – Chosen by Zeta Phi Beta Sorority (Beta Tau Chapter); NFL Miami Dolphins “Coach of the Year” (1998 & 2004); Assistant Coach Georgia vs. Florida (All-Star Game 2000); FAMU Distinguished Alumnus for Athletics 1999; Coached in the Nike All-Star Classic 1999; Coached in the North/South Shrine Game 1996; Coached in the Stan Marks All-Star Game 1996.
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