Joe Taylor to retire as FAMU coach, who will replace him?

Florida A&M University football coach Joe Taylor announced Saturday he would retire at the end of the season, but the real question is: Who will replace him?

FAMU assistant coaches Quinn Gray and Earl Holmes have expressed interest in the job, according to Tallahassee.com's St. Clair Murraine.

Gray and Holmes are both FAMU alums. Holmes is the team's defensive coordinator, while Gray has been the quarterbacks coach for the last two years

FAMU has taken some criticism for hiring athletic department personnel with ties to the university, but Holmes and Gray would likely be popular candidates. Should that happen, FAMU would join Bethune-Cookman and Howard University as programs that have hired former players to coach their teams.

Gray and Holmes each played at FAMU in a different era, when the program was tops in the MEAC. They went on to play a combined 17 years of professional football. And both said that being hired would give them an opportunity to give back to the school that gave them the chance to play at the highest level.

The Rattlers are in the middle of a sub-par season. They are 3-6 overall and 3-3 in conference this season. They've lost two games in a row and are coming off a 16-3 loss to North Carolina A&T last week.

Florida A&M's three wins this season have come against Hampton (44-20), Delaware State (24-22) and Savannah State (44-3).

The Rattlers will look to end their season on a high note. They will host North Carolina Central on Nov. 10 before ending their season on the road at Bethune-Cookman on Nov. 17.