Moments after Florida A&M lost its second consecutive game in historic fashion to Mississippi Valley State last Saturday, James Colzie indicated that hard decisions would need to be made to uplift a team that had not played up to the standard of a champion.
The first-year coach this week decided to make an in-house move by changing offensive coordinators.
Quarterback coach Henry Burris is now the Rattlers’ play-caller, replacing offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Joseph Henry.
“We didn’t change coordinators. We just changed who’s calling the plays,” Colzie told the Tallahassee Democrat. “Just trying to get a shot in the arm to our guys and making sure our guys are continuing to play with confidence and move in that direction.”
Burris, in his first season on the FAMU coaching staff, played quarterback in the Canadian Football League and in the NFL before retiring from football in 2017. He is in the CFL Hall of Fame and won three Grey Cup championships.
The decision to make the change comes after the Rattlers scored a combined 33 points in losses to Prairie View and Mississippi Valley State.
The Rattlers have averaged 22.5 points per game this season, which ranks seventh in the SWAC, though the unit is third overall in scoring among the league’s 12 teams.
The move comes ahead of the annual Florida Classic game against Bethune-Cookman, which is scheduled for Saturday in Orlando.
“I’m ready for the opportunity,” Burris told the newspaper.
“It’s bittersweet how things came along because you want to make sure you have a successful season and step in under better circumstances. But I’m doing it for the players. It’s about motivating those guys for one of the biggest games of their life. We’re making sure we put the work in.”
