As the year comes to a close, we’re looking back at the best of HBCUSports.com from 2024. It was an especially busy year — we saw HBCU football power return to glory at the Division I level — and memorable postseason runs by a pair of Division II football teams. There were outstanding performances on the court, football field, diamond, and beyond. In between, history and controversy were made along the way.
These were our 10 most memorable stories during the year, in no particular order:
Florida A&M coach Willie Simmons leaves for Duke
On the first day of 2024, Florida A&M coach Willie Simmons — who had led the Rattlers to an HBCU championship in a Celebration Bowl win over Howard — announced he would be leaving the program for an assistant coach job at Duke.
“I have full confidence in myself and my abilities, you know, but again, everything in life is about decision, the tough decisions that have to be made,” Simmons said in a statement about the move to Duke.
Prior to Simmons’ exit, Florida A&M leaders made a strong push to retain the coach by reportedly attempting to increase his yearly salary along with bonuses for Simmons and his staff.
Florida A&M embroiled in controversial football coach search
Weeks after Simmons left for Duke, Florida A&M athletic director Tiffani-Dawn Sykes reportedly had proposed to hire then-Fort Valley State coach Shawn Gibbs to lead the Rattlers.
It was a decision universally rebuffed by the university administration and stakeholders. Sykes was later issued a no-confidence vote by the FAMU National Alumni Association before the search was conducted by a search firm that ended with the school naming assistant James Colzie as coach.
Florida A&M interim president forces out AD, university leadership staff
Florida A&M interim President Timothy Beard wrote a letter in August to key senior leadership, requesting their resignations or face termination.
Athletic Director Tiffani-Dawn Sykes, along with the university’s chief operating officer, provost, general counsel, chief of staff, and communications director, were asked to leave their positions.
“After careful consideration and in consultation with the Board of Trustees, the past University President, and from my observations, I have concluded that a change in our senior leadership team is necessary to move forward more effectively,” Beard said in a statement.
Grambling State becomes a basketball school
The Tigers finished the 2023-24 season 21–15 and 14–4 in SWAC play to win the regular-season championship before taking the conference tournament title and trip to the NCAA tournament.
And that’s where the fun began.
As the No. 16 seed in the Midwest region, Grambling defeated Montana State in the First Four for the program’s first-ever tournament win before losing to eventual Final Four qualifier Purdue in the first round.
Langston men’s hoops lose NAIA national title game heartbreaker
After building a 13-point lead and with sights of a national championship on the forefront, Langston unexpectedly folded down the stretch, allowing a 10-0 run by Freed-Hardeman over the final three minutes of regulation to lose 71-67.
Langston’s loss snapped a 16-game win streak in a season in which the Lions finished with a 35-2 overall record.
Jackson State wins SWAC, HBCU national championship
Two years after losing eventual Heisman finalists and NFL prospects Travis Hunter, Shedeur Sanders, and dozens of others to the transfer portal following Deion Sanders’ exit to Colorado, Jackson State reached the summit.
Under second-year coach and JSU alum T.C. Taylor, the Tigers went unbeaten in the SWAC, won the conference title, and then capped off a 12-win season with a 28-7 win over South Carolina State in the Celebration Bowl.
“They went out there and dominated,” said JSU coach T.C. Taylor of his players performance. “To be a national champion today feels awesome.”
D2 football teams make HBCU postseason history
Virginia Union and Miles College made HBCU Division II history with memorable regular season and postseason runs.
Miles College was a sneaky dominant team in the SIAC, winning the conference championship game 53-25 over upstart Clark Atlanta.
The Golden Bears then beat Carson-Newman 14-13 in the first round of the D2 playoffs. The victory marked the first postseason win in program history.
Conversely, Virginia Union took advantage of its third consecutive trip to the playoffs by knocking off Wingate and Lenoir-Rhyne to reach the regional semifinals in a football program first before losing to Valdosta State.
Eddie George built a winner at Tennessee State
Tennessee State had been slowly building something under former Heisman winner Eddie George heading into the 2024 season.
Following a 6-win season in 2023, the Tigers ascended to new heights by winning 9 games and taking a share of the Big South/Ohio Valley Conference title for the first time since 2013. TSU then earned an at-large bid to the 24-team FCS playoff field and a matchup at Montana, a game the Tigers lost 41-27.
George would go on to be named Big South/Ohio Valley Coach of the Year for leading TSU to its best season in 11 years.
MEAC schools hire so-called celebrity football coaches
A pair of HBCUs continued a recent trend of HBCUs hiring ex-NFL star players with little or no coaching experience.
It started with Norfolk State hiring 757 led and four-time NFL Pro Bowl player Michael Vick as its head coach a month after the school parted ways with Dawson Odums.
“I am blessed and humbled by this opportunity to lead, mentor, and transform the football program at Norfolk State University,” Vick said in a statement later. “A prestigious HBCU with a rich athletics history, NSU provides a tremendous environment for students to reach their full potential on the field and, just as importantly, in the classroom. I am honored to join the Norfolk State family and welcome your support as we embark on this journey together.”
Days later, Delaware State named former NFL wide receiver DeSean Jackson head coach, a stunning move considering he had only been an offensive coordinator for one season at a California high school.
“HBCUs have much to be proud of in creating a more representative America,” Jackson said. “But that story is not simply a historical one. It continues to be written and includes the elevation of HBCU scholars and scholar-athletes in every field of human endeavor.”
Record multimillion-dollar donation to FAMU found fraudulent
In May, Florida A&M received a record $237 million donation from Gregory Gerami, a self-purported billionaire who wanted to “set FAMU on the path to being the top HBCU in this country.”
A 176-page investigative report later made public in August after the university could not verify Gerami’s access to the funds, concluded that he never had possession of that much money, making his claim “fraudulent.”
The report, conducted by law firm Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, stated that the Florida A&M administration, led by now-former President Dr. Larry Robinson, “improperly handled” vetting the gift.
Shawnta Friday-Stroud (former FAMU VP for university advancement and executive director of the FAMU Foundation) and Robinson resigned in July in the fallout.
