Following the dismissal of head coach James Colzie III on Dec. 8, Florida A&M University has hired Quinn Gray Senior to be the new head football coach and John F. Davis to be the school’s new Athletic Director and Vice President.
Both were introduced by FAMU President Marva Johnson in a press conference Jan. 9, 2026, in the Alfred Lawson Jr. Multipurpose Center.
“Today is just not simply about starting a new position; it is the beginning of an intentional path forward for this department,” said Davis, who stepped down as the Secretary of the Florida Lottery to take the FAMU job.
In his prior role, Davis oversaw the appropriations of billions of dollars for public education in the State of Florida. A Pahookee, Florida, native and Florida State University alumnus, Davis played football under Bobby Bowden.
Davis says he wants the FAMU athletic department to continue developing in the NIL [Name Image and Likeness] landscape of college athletics, while ensuring student athletes continue to receive the highest quality of education possible at the university.
Those efforts, he says, will be guided by a “comprehensive, enterprise-level strategy” aiming to “assess, stabilize, systematize, modernize and transform” the athletic department.
New head coach Quinn Gray was also formally introduced to the university. His appointment was finalized in December by FAMU’s Board of Trustees. Under the acronym “ALL IN” [Attitude, Little Things, Love, Intelligence, Now], Gray is looking to restore the football program following a dismal season that saw the team go 5-7 just two years after winning the Celebration Bowl.
“It’s about putting kids in great situations, and if we can do that, I like us, all day long,” Gray said. “Smart, fast physical football is the brand we will bring.”
Gray is a FAMU alum and former quarterback. He previously coached at Albany State University, where he was 24 -11 over three seasons, including a recent NCAA Division II Quarterfinals appearance.