A horrible gamble: Marva's questionable choice for AD

Acceding to Governor Ron DeSantis' demands, FAMU President Marva Brown Johnson has once again confirmed the worst fears of her critics: she serves not the institution she was hired to lead, but the political interests of Gov. DeSantis. Her appointment of John Davis, the secretary of the Florida Lottery and a longtime Republican operative, as the new athletic director is not a hire—it is a political installation, a surrender of Johnson's and FAMU's autonomy to the whims of Tallahassee power brokers.

Worst of all, Mrs. Johnson appears to be making no effort to conceal her role as an instrument of the governor’s agenda—a political subordinate carrying out directives rather than exercising independent leadership.

A poor gamble
Mr. Davis’s qualifications for overseeing a Division I athletics program are, to put it charitably, thin. He played football at Florida State University three decades ago—a fact that appears to be his primary credential. He has no experience in athletic administration, no background in NCAA compliance, no history of fundraising for sports programs, and no discernible vision for the future of FAMU athletics. What he does have is political connections, and in today’s Florida, that appears to be the only credential that matters.

This appointment is the predictable next step in a sham presidency, secured not by merit but through political patronage—a pattern now extended by the installation of an athletic director whose loyalty belongs not to the Rattler community, but to the governor’s agenda. The move reeks of backroom bargaining, trading away institutional integrity for political favor.

The symbolism could not be more insulting. Mr. Davis was recently photographed on FAMU’s sidelines during the Jackson State football game—wearing Florida State gear. For a university whose identity and pride are deeply intertwined with its HBCU legacy and its hard-fought place in the world of collegiate sports, the message is clear: FAMU’s leadership does not mind being seen as subordinate even on its own field.

Davis comes to with his own cloud of ethical concerns

Earlier this year, Mr. Davis faced intense questioning from a Florida House of Representatives committee over his use of state funds, including more than $50,000 in travel reimbursements he received between 2021 and 2024 that legislators suggested may have been improper.

“We’ve provided  document for the travel that includes Orlando as part of the destination. These trips alone cost Florida taxpayers $27,840,” State Rep. Vicki Lopez, a Republican, said during a committee hearing. Lopez suggested that Davis purposely used state funds to reimburse himself for using his personal vehicle to commute back and forth from Tallahassee to his home in Orlando.”

Spin machine in full effect
The press release from President Johnson, likely polished heavily by Salter-Mitchell PR, describes Mr. Davis as a “dynamic and results-oriented leader.” Yet those who have followed his career know the truth: his role as lottery secretary is largely ceremonial, a reward for loyalty, not a testament to executive brilliance.  To claim he is prepared to manage the complexities of modern college athletics—from NIL and conference realignment to media rights and the transfer portal—is not just dishonest; it is a deliberate and cynical misrepresentation of his glaring inadequacies.

Appointment highlights Johnson's continued failure
Worse still is the timing. This appointment comes just as Johnson traveled to Tallahassee from her outpost in Orlando for a carefully orchestrated “100 days” local media campaign meant to showcase her early accomplishments. Instead, it has only highlighted her failures: a pattern of tone-deaf decisions, a disregard of FAMU culture and traditions, and now, the wholesale 'selling out' to political allies.

As one alum wrote on Facebook: “Marva Johnson’s (first) 100 Days of Disaster: The train wreck is just getting rolling.” Many in the FAMU community share this sentiment. They see not a president, but a proxy; not a leader, but a liaison for DeSantis.

FAMU deserves better. Its students, its athletes, its coaches, and its alumni deserve leadership chosen for its merit, not its political utility. They deserve an athletic director who understands what it means to build a program, not a party loyalist who views the role as another line on a résumé.  This is more than a misstep. It is a betrayal— a profound disconnect from the needs of FAMU or a conscious disregard for them. This is not just disingenuous; it is delusional.

Never would have been considered for AD at FSU or UCF

To be clear, Mr. Davis is NOT a figure who would have ever been considered for an appointment`leading FSU's, UCF's, or USF's athletics programs, and he should have never been considered for the top job at FAMU.   His appointment underscores a devastating truth: that even at one of the nation’s most revered HBCUs, with Marva Johnson at the helm, autonomy is negotiable, and integrity is up for sale.