{"id":154431,"date":"2025-11-12T22:15:52","date_gmt":"2025-11-13T03:15:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hbcugameday.com\/?p=154431"},"modified":"2025-11-12T22:15:53","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T03:15:53","slug":"wssu-looking-to-move-quickly-for-next-head-coach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hbcugameday.com\/2025\/11\/12\/wssu-looking-to-move-quickly-for-next-head-coach\/","title":{"rendered":"WSSU looking to move quickly for next head coach"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) is moving swiftly to restore its football program to championship contention, launching an accelerated search for its next head coach just days after the resignation of Robert Massey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During a virtual town hall Wednesday evening with alumni and supporters, Chancellor Bonita Brown and Interim Athletic Director Eric Burns outlined their vision for the future \u2014 one that pairs urgency with investment and aims to return WSSU to its historic winning standard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The search officially opened Sunday at 6 p.m., less than 24 hours after Massey\u2019s departure. The posting will remain open for only five days, and the goal is to have a new head coach in place by the first week of December.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is an urgency,\u201d Burns told supporters. \u201cWe\u2019re up against not only the transfer portal, but we\u2019re up against other schools who will be discontinuing their coach who\u2019s also going to be searching with us at the same time. So it\u2019s important that we move swiftly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WSSU is one of the most storied programs in Division II football. Its previous five head coaches \u2014 B<\/strong>ill Hayes, Pete Richardson, Kermit Blount, Connell Maynor, and <\/strong>Kienus Boulware\u2014 each won at least <\/strong>two CIAA championships. However, the Rams haven\u2019t reached the conference title game since 2016, a drought that the university\u2019s leadership and supporters want to end quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coveted job draws early interest<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Despite the short window, WSSU has already seen strong interest from across the coaching landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven before an announcement was made, we were getting phone calls and names,\u201d Chancellor Brown said. \u201cPeople recognize our legacy. They want to be a part of that and they want to return us to our winning stance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Burns, the response has been immediate and widespread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWithin two hours we had 11 applicants of the position being posted,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd just to share with y\u2019all, we had a call from one of the top agencies from a talent standpoint with interest from one of their candidates. So it\u2019s a hot job.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
WSSU Chancellor Bonita Brown wants a coach that can recruit, coach and fundraise. (Garrett Garms\/WSSU photography)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

What WSSU is looking for<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Both Brown and Burns described the ideal candidate as a leader who understands the modern realities of college athletics \u2014 a mix of NIL, the transfer portal, and student-athlete development \u2014 and one who embraces the values of the university.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brown emphasized that she wants a coach who connects with students, sets academic and behavioral standards, communicates well, and understands the importance of engaging with alumni and the Winston-Salem community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I want someone that\u2019s good with students,\u201d she said. \u201cSomeone that sets high standards for football, for behavior and classroom work because they are students first. I also like someone who could be a fundraiser. We\u2019re going to have to raise some money.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Burns added that he prefers candidates with previous head coaching experience, ideally at the Division II level, but said the search will also consider Division II coordinators or Division I position coaches with strong recruiting ties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRecruiting is the lifeline of any successful program,\u201d he said. \u201cWe want someone with a clear vision that\u2019s not using this as a springboard. We want someone that\u2019s really wanting to be bought into what WSSU has to offer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Building resources for the next era<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The new head coach will inherit a program with a strong tradition but one that needs additional financial support to reach its full potential. WSSU currently funds 32 football scholarships, four short of the Division II maximum of 36.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s roughly about $20,000 a student,\u201d Burns explained. \u201cSo with us needing that additional four, if we include books and insurance, we need an additional $100,000. Now what we would like to do as a program is move the program forward. Nutrition also plays into that\u2026 you want to add on another $80,000 annually to support food. It\u2019s expensive to run a program.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That $180,000 figure, Burns said, represents the type of direct support that could help WSSU close the gap between competing and winning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A fundraising and community engagement campaign is already being discussed to coincide with the introduction of the new head coach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s a great idea,\u201d Brown said. \u201cTo have a kickoff fundraising event around a new coach, take the coach around to meet alumni and community members, and get Bowman Gray a little more full than it is now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the university prepares to hire its next leader, one thing is clear: WSSU wants to pair its storied tradition with modern resources and a coach capable of restoring championship expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is a coveted job,\u201d Brown said. \u201cPeople recognize our legacy and want to be a part of bringing it back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Winston-Salem State is looking to move swiftly to find its next head coach to stay ahead of the ever-changing game of college football.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":154432,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_ml_titleColor":"#000000","_ml_titleFont":"Roboto","_ml_titleFontSize":1.136,"_ml_titleFontWeight":"400","_ml_titleLineHeight":1.3,"_ml_metaColor":"#708090","_ml_metaFont":"Montserrat","_ml_metaFontSize":0.6785,"_ml_metaFontWeight":"400","_ml_metaLineHeight":0.92,"_ml_bodyColor":"#a9a9a9","_ml_bodyFont":"Open Sans","_ml_bodyFontSize":0.85,"_ml_bodyFontWeight":"400","_ml_bodyLineHeight":1.2,"_ml_wooPriceColor":"#666","_ml_wooPriceFont":"Open Sans","_ml_wooPriceFontSize":0.9,"_ml_wooPriceFontWeight":"400","_ml_wooPriceLineHeight":1.27,"_ml_headingColor":"#000","_ml_headingFont":"Merriweather","_ml_headingFontSize":2.02,"_ml_headingFontWeight":"700","_ml_headingLineHeight":1.47,"_mlglobal_userfontcolors":{"headingColorUser":[],"titleColorUser":[],"metaColorUser":[],"bodyColorUser":[],"wooPriceColorUser":[]},"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[573635379,573627540,573627535,573627590],"tags":[1809557,573627544,573627534,5641017],"class_list":["post-154431","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-2025-hbcu-football","category-ciaa","category-football","category-winston-salem-state-university","tag-ciaa","tag-featured","tag-hbcusports","tag-wssu"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWSSU looking to move quickly for next head coach - HBCU Gameday<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"WSSU is moving quickly to restore its football legacy with a new head coach. 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