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Quinn Gray weighs in on Florida A&M APR controversy, path forward
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- Quinn Gray weighs in on Florida A&M APR controversy, path forward
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Florida A&M head coach Quinn Gray says the Rattlers have turned their attention to the future after the program was hit with APR sanctions that will keep it out of postseason contention in 2026.
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Speaking during the SWAC Media Day media call, Gray explained how he addressed the disappointing news with his team after learning Florida A&M would be ineligible for the SWAC Championship Game, the Cricket Celebration Bowl and the NCAA FCS playoffs.
"Once we got the news, and we understood what it looked like, we gave our players about a week to deal with their feelings," Gray said. "We gave them a week so if they wanted to hop in the portal, they could do that. Once they decided to stay, we helped them understand that we aren't looking back and we aren't going to allow that to be a crutch for anything that we do moving forward."
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Gray, who returned to his alma mater after a successful tenure at Albany State, said Florida A&M still has plenty to play for despite the postseason restrictions.
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"To be honest with you, what we can't do is just compete in the SWAC championship game and the Celebration Bowl," Gray said. "We can still be number one in the SWAC East, we can still be number one in the HBCU poll, we can still be ranked in the FCS poll, and all that good stuff as well. So at the end of the day, there are still things we can accomplish; there are still goals and targets we can try to hit and obtain. There's a lot to play for, and yes, we're still developing our guys, but we're not developing for next year; we're developing for week one against Albany State."
Gray inherits a Florida A&M program looking to bounce back after a difficult 2025 campaign. The Rattlers finished 5-7 overall, ending the season with losses to Bethune-Cookman and Mississippi Valley State. The disappointing finish led to the dismissal of head coach James Colzie III following the season. Florida A&M then turned to Gray, a former Rattlers quarterback, after he guided Albany State to sustained success in the SIAC.
Now entering his first season at the helm, Gray said his focus remains on maximizing what his team can achieve in 2026 rather than dwelling on circumstances beyond its control.
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