On the day he turned 51, James Colzie III’s tenure as head football coach at FAMU came to an unceremonious end.
University leadership informed Colzie on Monday that he would not return for a third season, closing a brief and turbulent chapter for a Rattlers program still measuring itself against the soaring standard set by his predecessor, Willie Simmons.
Colzie, a former FSU defensive back who played for the legendary Bobby Bowden, was placed on administrative leave following a morning meeting with athletic department and university officials. He finishes his FAMU tenure with a 12-12 overall record, including a 5-7 mark this season—the program’s first non-winning campaign since 2017.
The move comes as FAMU looks to halt a slide that began almost from the moment Colzie took over. Under Simmons, the Rattlers were a national force in the HBCU landscape, capturing a SWAC championship and HBCU national title in 2023. Simmons parlayed that success landing coaching jobs in the FBS ranks, first as an assistant at Duke and now as head coach at FIU.
Colzie, who served as defensive backs coach under Simmons, was promoted with hopes of maintaining that momentum. But after a 7-5 debut in 2024, the Rattlers stumbled through 2025, finishing 4-4 in conference play and suffered three home blowout losses by more than 30 points.
Administrators and boosters had grown increasingly concerned with the team’s performance, particularly its inability to be competitive on the field.
Colzie’s departure marks the latest turn in a period of transition for one of college football’s most-storied HBCU programs. Players were notified Monday afternoon, and a short search for his replacement is already underway.
For now, the man who was supposed to build on a golden era exits on his birthday, leaving behind a program searching—once again—for answers.