Tapping into his broad network in his native Florida, Willie Simmons is closing in on completing his inaugural FIU coaching staff.
The Panthers' new head coach is snagging a pair of staffers from Miami to fill offensive assistant roles in the FIU program moving forward, sources tell FootballScoop, and also is adding Jelani Berassa as the team's wide receivers coach.
Berassa is heading to FIU after most recently coaching wideouts at FCS program Youngstown State.
Sources tell FootballScoop that Edwin Pata, a six-year veteran of the Miami Hurricanes program, is departing his post there as assistant offensive line coach to handle the top responsibilities at the same spot for Simmons's FIU program.
Pata played collegiately at both FIU and Florida State, plus had a stint as an assistant coach at Florida A&M, where Simmons previously set records for success in that program before spending the 2024 season as an assistant coach under Manny Diaz at Duke.
Elsewhere, per sources, Simmons is also hiring Benedick Hyppolite to coach FIU's running backs; he's previously been on staff at the University of Florida and comes to the Panthers from an off-the-field assistant role on Miami's offense.
He also has head coaching experience in the high school ranks in Florida.