The Executive Board of the FAMU National Alumni Association met last night in meeting on Zoom that last two hours long to discuss their concerns with the search process to select a new football coach. The meeting had more than 1,000 alumni from across the country logged in.
The main concern? The lack of transparency in the search. The NAA expressed concern that one from the association had been in involved, solicited, contacted or advised during the search that led to the recommendation of FVSU Shawn Gibbs as the Rattlers next coach by Vice President and Director of Athletics Tiffani-Dawn Sykes.
In fact, NAA president Curtis Johnson said that there had been no communications from FAMU, or the AD since the Celebration Bowl except to ask to raise $25,000 in last ditch effort to try to keep former Coach Willie Simmons, who eventually accepted a job at as an assistant at DUKE. Alumni, rose to the occasion by raising more than $148,000 in less than a 24 hour period in that effort.
Johnson said “we have not heard one word from Sykes, or anyone at FAMU since then. To this day we have not even received a thank you.”
“In this day and age it is way too easy to communicate,” Johnson added.
A mom of a current football player told the group, during a public comment period, that “student athletes don’t feel like they are being heard or supported in this search process.” They have done everything that they have been asked to and risked life and limb on the field, she added.
No confidence.
There were two motions proposed on Wednesday night, by NAA Board member Angelia Williams, and both were approved.
The first a vote of no confidence in Sykes in the potential hiring of Shawn Gibbs as the Rattler next head football coach. That motion passed 19 to 1.
The second vote, a vote of no confidence in the ability of Athletic Director Sykes to lead FAMU Athletics.
Williams sighted the cancellation of the Orange Blossom Classic football game in Miami, the increase in Investment in Champion packages, and proposed hiring of Shawn Gibbs --- all done with NAA input--- as reasons.
That motion passed on a 18-3 vote.
The NAA meeting came on the heels of the Rattler Boosters -- the fundraising arm of the FAMU athletics---drafting a two-page letter to university president Larry Robinson on Wednesday morning expressing their concerns about the football search process.
Cobb, told the Tallahassee Democrat in an interview yesterday, that Robinson had confirmed to him that Gibbs ( of Fort Valley State) as Sykes' top candidate to replace Simmons.
"I wanted the President to know that I thought, at this time, this was a bad decision," Cobb told The Democrat. "To me, he's just not a good fit."
The FAMU Board of Trustees have scheduled a special board meeting on Tuesday to receive updates on the search process.