The announcement came on the heels of a very public break up between Stevenson and former Athletic Director Tiffani Dawn Sykes. Stevenson, a fan favorite, was reportedly caught off guard by the decision to transition to a new direction.
McLaughlin's journey in public address announcing began at his alma mater, Winston Salem State University, in 2004, and he has since made a name for himself in the sports announcing world. His resume includes high-profile events such as games for the Charlotte Hornets, Greensboro Swarm, CIAA Basketball & Football Championships, North Carolina men's basketball, and CP3's Annual HBCU Classic.
Beyond sports, McLaughlin has a rich background in comedy, having entertained audiences for two decades on morning radio in North Carolina, appeared on five seasons of Nick Cannon's Wild 'n Out, and performed at 85 South's "Netflix is a Joke" taping.
He also hosts a successful podcast, "I Didn't Know, Maybe You Didn't Either."
Fan reaction
The announcement of McLaughlin's appointment was met with mixed reactions from FAMU fans. Some expressed their disbelief and disappointment at the change, questioning the decision to replace Stevenson and voicing their desire for his return.
“B-Who?”, we don’t want him, bring Sterling back”, read one post of Facebook.
"We already had one of the best announcers and Gameday experiences in college football, this is an unnecessary decision that may or may not be embraced."
“Even after being fired, we “Toxic Tiffiani” is still haunting us, with her fake searches to hire her CIAA friends at FAM,” wrote another, “this is some bull**it!”
“You Can Get ANYWHERE from FAMU… except FAMU! If we don’t start appreciating and respecting OUR OWN, how can we ever demand that from others?,”
“This guy might be completely legit but if what we had was working why change it? Especially after the “change agent" is no longer with us? Seems kinda weird and disappointing,” read another post.
Others, however, were more optimistic, predicting that McLaughlin's energy and comedic talent would soon win over the Rattler Nation.
"He has a legit resume. He announces for the Charolette Hornets, and was on 'Wildin Out" (TV show). It appears we are appealing to a younger fan base it seems."
“I hated that we lost sterling but I actually think you guys will like Bdaht. He's really good, funny and has great energy. I think he'll mesh well with DJ Loosekid and the crowd. Rattler Nation will warm up to him quickly,” read another post on social media.
McLaughlin, even received the backing of Roy Woods, Jr, a fellow comedian, and a FAMU journalism grad, who wrote on his Twitter account that “No one more perfect for the job. “That boy BDaht gonna have all of Bragg stadium on their feet at all times. Welcome to FAMU!”