Most colleges want a football program but the costs can be prohibitive to starting one. Chicago State decided to take the leap and just hired Bobby Rome II as its first ever head football coach.
Rome will be in charge of building Chicago State’s FCS program, which will play in the NEC, from the ground up.
“We are thrilled to welcome Coach Rome to the CSU family,” said Dr. Monique Carroll, Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at CSU. “He’s a transformative leader with a proven track record of building a successful program. His vision for the program coupled with his fund-raising experience makes him a perfect fit.”
Rome arrives in Chicago from NAIA program and HBCU institution Florida Memorial University (FMU), which he led to its first winning season in program history.
FMU was one of the top ranked programs under his leadership.
Per the release:
FMU “ranked #1 in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) for total yards, leading the nation with a total of 51 touchdowns in 2023. In 2024, he led FMU to Top 3 Finish in the Sun Conference and received the #1 Top-Rated Recruiting Class designation.”
CSU’s head coach is now tasked with building a DI FCS program in Chicago’s South Side for the oldest public university in the Chicago Metropolitan area.
“It’s an honor to be a part of this historic moment at Chicago State University to build a winning program that not only embodies the values of this institution but also reflects the spirit of Chicago’s South Side.”
