Willie Simmons named head coach at Florida International

Willie Simmons has been tapped as the man to lead FIU. Saturday morning, Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports reported the two sides were finalizing details to make Simmons their next head coach.  Earlier this afternoon, the Panthers’ new head football coach let the world know he was “excited” and looking forward to recruiting the best and brightest young men to bring championships and produce winners on and off the field.” Coach Simmons began his coaching career in 2005 as the pass game coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Lincoln High School (FL) 2005.…

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North Carolina A&T names Shaun Gibbs new football coach

title image via Kevin L. Dorsey Courtesy ot North Carolina A&T Athletics Shawn Gibbs will return to Aggieland. Only this time, he returns as the 23rd head football coach in North Carolina A&T State University football program history. A&T Director of Athletics Earl M. Hilton III announced Gibbs’ hiring on Friday. Gibbs, 49, replaces Vincent Brown, who spent two seasons at A&T. An introductory press conference for Gibbs is scheduled for Wednesday, December 18, at 11:30 a.m. in Deese Ballroom inside the A&T campus Student Center.  A native of Black Mountain, N.C., Gibbs…

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Tennessee State falls short in playoff matchup with Montana, 41-27

title image via Tennessee State Athletics Ill-timed miscues proved to be Tennessee State’s undoing as they came up short in a hard-fought 41-27 defeat to Montana in the first round of FCS Playoffs.  Montana struck first when Ty Morrison kicked a 39-yard field goal, giving the Grizzlies a 3-0 lead. Later in the quarter, Tennessee State responded with a James Lowery field goal, tying the game at 3 as time expired in the period. Montana then scored the first touchdown of the evening with a 7-yard run by Eli Gillman,…

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Tennessee State was named the HBCU+National Team of the Week

title image via Tennessee State Athletics Eddie George and the Tennessee State Tigers were named the HBCU+ FCS National Team of the Week. In their most recent and most important game of the season, TSU defeated Big South-OVC leader Southeast Missouri to earn a share of the conference crown. It marked the first time since 1999 that Tennessee State hoisted conference hardware.  The 9-3 overall record is the best finish to a regular season since 2013.  The win also helped vault the Tigers into the FCS Playoffs, a feat not…

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Tennessee State’s Jalen McClendon named to HBCU+ Player of the Year Watchlist

Tennessee State defensive back Jalen McClendon was named to the HBCU+ Player of the Year Watchlist. The award will bestowed upon the most outstanding player from the nation’s 21 Division I HBCU programs.  Providing steady, and many times stellar play in the TSU secondary, McClendon has recorded 53 tackles (45 solo) , 12 pass breakups and 1 interception in 12 games this season, several of which he has played with a broken hand.  The winner will be announced December 9 and will be invited to the Stats Perform FCS National…

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Tennessee State’s Jalen McClendon named finalist for Buck Buchanan Award

Courtesy of Tennessee State Athletics  Tennessee State senior defensive back Jalen McClendon has been named one of 35 finalists for the 2024 Buck Buchanan Award, presented to the national defensive player of the year in Division I FCS football. The award, celebrating its 30th anniversary, was announced by Stats Perform. The honor is named after legendary defensive lineman Junious “Buck” Buchanan, who starred at Grambling State during his Hall of Fame career. Past recipients include Dexter Coakley, Rashean Mathis, Jared Allen, and Arthur Moats. McClendon, playing this season despite an upper-body injury…

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Eddie George named Big South-OVC Coach of the Year

title image via Tennessee State Football In a season rife with accomplishments for the Tennessee State football program, the accolades continue to rain down on TSU.  Head coach Eddie George was named Big South-OVC Coach of the Year.  In his fourth season at the helm of Tennessee State football, the NFL legend has led th Tigers to their most successful season in a quarter century. Tennessee State was able to lay claim to the conference championship for the first time since L.C. Cole led the Tigers to the OVC crown…

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Grambling comeback falls short, loses to Cal-Poly 82-79

title image via Dominique Williams Courtesy of Curtis Ford, Associate AD for Athletic Communications Antwan Burnettscored a game-high 21 points and Chilaydrien Newton notched a career-high 17 points, but it wasn’t enough to lift Grambling State to victory as the Tigers fell to Cal-Poly 82-79 on Tuesday night at the Mott Athletics Center. GSU (1-5) erased a 17-point deficit and tied the game in the second half but couldn’t push ahead to grab its first road win of the year.  Burnett scored his 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including going 3-of-6 from…

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Jackson State up to no. 18 in FCS Stats Perform Top 25

title image via the Clarion-Ledger Courtesy of Jackson State Athletics Jackson State moved up three spots to No. 18 in this week’s FCS Stats Perform Top 25 following its win over Alcorn State to cap off an undefeated regular season in Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) play. Jackson State (10-2, 8-0 SWAC), winners of eight consecutive games, picked up 384 points, and now being preparations for the 2024 Pepsi SWAC Championship presented by GM to be played on Sat., Dec. 7 at Veterans Memorial Stadium. Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll (Nov. 25)…

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Miles gets first ever playoff win, beats Carson-Newman 14-13

title image via Nicholas G. Jackson Courtesy of Miles College Athletics 13 C-N 14 Winner MILES Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F C-N 0 10 0 3 13 MILES 7 7 0 0 14 In a season filled with firsts, Miles found a way to add another significant milestone to what continues to be the most historic year in program annuls. Hosting its first-ever NCAA Division II playoff game, the Golden Bears leaned on a stifling defense that made two first-half scores them stand up in a 14-13 win over Carson-Newman…

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