Courtesy of PVAMU and ASU Sports Information
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Both Prairie View A&M University and Alabama State University released new hires this week, announcing the arrival of two new head football coaches. Prairie View selected renowned offensive coordinator Willie Simmons as its 32nd head coach in program history and ASU named former Bethune-Cookman University head coach Brian Jenkins to the helm of its football program.
Simmons comes to Prairie View A&M after an impressive three-year stint as the offensive coordinator at Alcorn State, which recently won the Southwestern Athletic Conference and three Black College National Championships. With Simmons on staff, Alcorn State fielded one of the most potent offenses in the country as they led the SWAC in seven offensive categories while also finishing second in the nation amongst Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) teams in scoring offense with 44 points per game during the 2014 season.
Jenkins was introduced Wednesday, Dec. 17 at a 3 p.m. press conference in the Club Lounge at the New ASU Stadium.
In five seasons as head coach at Bethune-Cookman (2010-14), Jenkins’ Wildcats won more than 76 percent of their games (46-14), winning or tying for four Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference titles, earning three FCS playoff berths and two HBCU national titles. B-CU won at least eight games each season, including a pair of 10-win seasons, and never finished below second place in the conference standings in posting a 34-6 record in MEAC contests, including a perfect 8-0 mark in 2012. The Wildcats also won 18 straight conference games between 2011-13, the second-longest streak in league history.
In 2014, Prairie View finished third in the western division after going 5-5 overall, 5-4 in conference. Alabama State (7-5) closed out its year second in the eastern division behind SWAC champion Alcorn State with a 5-4 conference record.
