Chicago State University announces Bobby Rome II as school's first-ever football coach
The former North Carolina fullback, who's had three other coaching stops, beat out more than 230 applicants for the Cougars job.
It's a daunting task to build a team from the ground up, but Rome said he's up for the challenge.
"The resilience of our community, the resilience of the people that live here, the toughness of the people that live here, I wanted to be a part of that," he said. "I wanted to be a part of that. I wanted to be a part of the fabric of Chicago, and I know they play great football out here. Chicago State is providing an opportunity right now to the community, and I just wanted to be an ambassador for Chicago State."
Chicago State began exploring the addition of a Division I football team two years ago, forming an exploratory look into study the prospect of adding football to the schools 15 other sports programs.
The school launched its search for a head coach in February, and plans to start its inaugural season in 2026 with the Northeast Conference in the Football Championship Subdivision.
Athletics director Dr. Monique Carroll said Rome set himself apart from the moment he started his interview.
"Not only just the simple things, but he really had a passion for what we were doing, and we can't teach anybody that. You have to come with the energy,"
Rome comes to Chicago State from Florida Memorial University, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), where he spent three seasons, leading the team to its first winning season in modern history in 2023. He was nominated for HBCU Coach of the Year in 2024, after leading FMU to a top 3 finish in the Sun Conference.
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