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Winston-Salem State Names Robert Massey Head Football Coach After 960+ Days As Interim

@SpectacularMag

WINSTON-SALEM, NC – The Winston-Salem State University Athletics Department has announced Robert Massey as the tenth head football coach in the program’s storied 80-year history. The announcement was made by Chancellor Dr. Elwood Robinson and Director of Athletics Etienne Thomas on Friday, December 17.

WSSU Chancellor Dr. Elwood Robinson (r) and Director of Athletics Etienne Thomas (l) announce Robert Massey as head football coach. (submitted)

Massey has served as the Rams interim head coach for the past two seasons.  He has been a part of four CIAA Football Championship teams as an assistant coach at Shaw University and WSSU. “I would like to give my thanks to Chancellor Robinson and A.D. Thomas,” said Massey.  “I’m fully grateful for this opportunity.  We’re going to get back to graduating champions.” Guiding the program with the interim title for the past two years hasn’t been an easy task.  “I now have full autonomy over the program,” he said.  “It feels good when you can make decisions for the good of the team and the good of the program.”

He’s looking forward to the challenge.  “I get to finish what I started,” Massey said.  “We’re now getting back to a little bit of normalcy with COVID.  We’re now in a position to move forward.” The football team, under Massey’s guidance, finished last year with the best grade point average (GPA) in program history at 3.0, despite most contact with players being accomplished through Zoom.  “At the end of the day, it’s seeing young men graduate and seeing a championship team.  A lot of lessons learned through football are lessons that will carry you through life.”

His coaching and playing careers are impressive.  Massey attended North Carolina Central University on a football scholarship.  He finished third on the Eagles’ career interception list and is a member of the NCCU Hall of Fame.  He was on the All-CIAA team his junior and senior years and earned All-American honors as a senior. Massey was drafted in the second round of the 1989 NFL draft by the New Orleans Saints where he had an immediate impact.  He was named to the All-NFL Rookie Team the same year.  Four years later, Massey was selected to play in the 1992 Pro Bowl as a member of the Phoenix Cardinals. Massey retired from the NFL after 10 years and returned to North Carolina where he began his coaching career at Hillside High School in Durham in 1999.  His college coaching career began at his alma mater in 2003.  Massey joined the WSSU staff in 2016.