Alvin Hollins worked his last FAMU football game Saturday, with the same good natured professionalism that he worked his first some thirty years ago. Hollins has seen a lot in his 30 years at FAMU --- six different presidents, five head football coaches, and hundreds of wins. Alvin Hollins has bled Orange and Green, but as he begins to pack up his office, three decades of
For the past 30 years, Alvin Hollins has been a shoulder to lean on and a wealth of information for FAMU athletes, but budget cuts and a new administration decided it was time to go in a new direction. So just after Christmas, Hollins will close the door on three decades of service as Sports Information Director at FAMU.
You won't find many people who know more about FAMU sports than Hollins, and you won't find many people who have more friends on campus than Alvin. His coaches all loved him, and he loved working with them. Most of them at least.
"The secret to longevity is to work with everybody, even the people you want to strangle on occasion. You need to work with folks," Hollins said.
"I call him a walking encyclopedia. He's been around and understands, he's a good resource person," said current FAMU football coach Joe Taylor.
Alvin began his tenure on August 1, 1979. He witnessed the FAMU win against Miami, and the Rattlers short lived stay at the highest classification of NCAA football, he's been there to document it all.
Now it's Alvin Hollins turn to his head to the sidelines. After 30 years on the field, it's time to do something else. FAMU is a better place because of Alvin Hollins, but it won't be the same without him.
Keith Miles, the radio voice of FAMU summed it by saying, "We couldn't let this season pass without saying how much we appreciate the hard work and years of service Alvin Hollins has given all of us."
I respect what this brother has done for FAMU. I am told that he is a nice guy and that his spirit will definitely be missed.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, he hasn't been holding it down as SID. I mean look at the information on the website. The rosters for both basketball teams were just placed on the website two days ago. The season started long before that. The box scores for the games aren't available. The summaires for the games look like they were written by the AP. There aren't any player profiles for any sports. It's the SID's job to have that info on the website.
Its time for this brother to go.
He's hampered. The Sports Website built by EIT is jacked up!!!
ReplyDelete^^^^^^
ReplyDeleteActually he's hampered by a reduced knowledge set that hasn't been upgraded in at least 15 years of his 30 year employment. If he would have upgraded his skillset into the modern age of information, he may have been able to retain his job. Unfortunately, like most people at FAMU.....they believe if they did it right once upon a time, it is therefore done correctly every time from there forward (no matter if the decade, or century for that matter, has changed).
Everything for the most part is done differently now from how it was done 10, 15 and 30 years ago. Those that can adapt to change are usually the ones that survive. Those that relax and get too comfortable in a today climate are usually frozen out of the next.
I hope FAMU continues to make sure that all of its staff, administrators and faculty are adept at handling TODAY'S market and not continuing its retention of those individuals still resting on what they did decades ago or being the "nice one." It's great to be the nice person at work, but it's in FAMU's best interest to hire more so for competency than personality.
With that being said, I believe this is a perfect opportunity for Mr. Hollins to start the next chapter in his life. Maybe through continuing education.
Mr. Hollins has done a super job! Most Rattlers don't understand he and Ronnie were only two people doing a job of ten.
ReplyDeleteDoing all the game day programs, media guides, schedules, press conferences, interview training for players and coaches, traveling to every away football game, and more. Their office is size of two parking spaces.
Also, FAMU just promoted him within the last two years. I think his office just needed another two or three people to help out; even students or volunteers.
He didn't have work study students and he was working with various sports, schedules and elements we have no idea of.
Hats off to you Mr. Alvin Hollins!
Job well done!
You are a Rattler Legend.