BY TED TAYLOR
During an emotional news conference on Friday evening at the Lawson Center on the campus of Florida A&M University, Earl Holmes was introduced as the next head coach for the Rattlers football team.
With mother, wife, son and other family members in attendance along with his high school coach, friends, fellow Rattlers and other supporters, the burly NFL veteran could not restrain the tears. Coach Holmes had just seen a dream fulfilled.
Holmes is a Rattler through-and-through as he graduated from FAMU High School in 1991. He continued the FAMU experience with a superb career at the University.
Despite the relative head coaching inexperience, Holmes is an intelligent young coach and motivator, which many believe is needed to revive the university’s football program. Holmes is no stranger to success at Florida A&M as he was a standout player for the Rattlers, becoming a first team All-American, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) defensive player of the year, and Division 1-AA defensive player of the year for 1996.
Holmes still is Florida A&M University’s all-time leading tackler and possesses ten years of National Football League experience after being drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1997.
Holmes is coming off his fifth season as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for Florida A&M, helping the Rattlers evolve from being last in total defense to becoming one of the top defensive teams in the MEAC for the past few years.
In 2011, Holmes implemented a defense that led the nation in interceptions and finished in the top ten in the nation in total number of turnovers.
Holmes took over the Rattlers as acting head football coach for the final two games of the 2012 season after coach Joe Taylor announced his retirement, compiling a 1-1 record against the top two teams in the MEAC.
In the short period of time coaching at FAMU, he rose from a position coach to co-defensive coordinator and finally defensive coordinator.
Holmes is viewed as an “iconic” figure at FAMU and in Tallahassee “because everybody knows him,” says Rattler Booster executive director Mickey Clayton. Clayton believes the FAMU community will rally behind Holmes and support for the football program will be renewed.
Clayton further said it is a great day for FAMU High School now that the coaches for football and basketball, Clemon Johnson, are Baby Rattlers.
Former FAMU president, Dr. Walter Smith, of Tampa, knew Holmes as a student at the high school. He feels Holmes is a good choice for FAMU as he has a passion for the University.
On inexperience, Dr. Smith says his commitment to FAMU will help overcome it. Smith says, “All coaches have to learn some things and Holmes is a smart young man with the ability to handle the stress and strain of a head coach.”
Holmes was selected from a nationwide search conducted by the University. He emerged from a pool of 23 other candidates, some with former and current head coaching experience.
