Coach Simmons sporting the new headsets funded by the Rattler Boosters against Savannah State on Saturday.
Sydne Vigille | The FAMUAN
In their win against Savannah State on Saturday, Florida A&M head coaches were rocking new headsets thanks to a large contribution from the Rattler Boosters.
On Friday afternoon, FAMU Athletics took to Twitter to announce a new purchase they recently made that would affect the then upcoming game.
“FAMU Athletics and Rattler Football would like to thank the Rattler Boosters for purchasing new coaches communications sets for the Rattler Football team,” the athletics account tweeted. “The previous ones were inaccessible to the coaches and the Rattler Boosters stepped in to purchase an NFL grade system.”
The new gear worked perfectly in their debut against the Tigers, and head coach Willie Simmons even mentioned the new headsets after the game.
“They were life savers,” the FAMU coach said. “I tip my hat to the administration, our direct supporter organizations, just for supporting this athletic program. We can’t do what we do without financial support.”
Sydne Vigille | The FAMUAN
The headsets cost the athletic department around $60,000 dollars, and the Rattler Boosters were able to provide $48,000 towards the purchase. Tommy Mitchell, the executive director of the Rattler Boosters, felt that the headsets were an important step for the boosters to take to meet their goals.
“The Rattler Boosters felt the need to provide the kind of support that we’re supposed to provide as a direct support organization specifically for athletics,” Mitchell said in an interview with the Famuan. “It’s what we do, and we’re doing what we should do.”
Mitchell hinted that there might be more new equipment to come for the program through their new “homecoming campaign” that’s raising money for the athletic department to use.
“What the Boosters have done (is) initiate a campaign that we’re calling a ‘homecoming campaign.’ The use of that name was simply an implication that we plan to let boosters know how much money they’ve given from one homecoming to the other. Rather than focus on a next project, what we want to do is raise enough money so that those funds can provide access to any project that’s needed for the athletic department.”
After getting new turf for Bragg Stadium, new helmets and new headsets, who knows what other goodies and toys the Rattler Boosters will provide for the Rattlers.