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D1 Football Coach Accused of Running False ‘Ponzi Scheme’

Posted on by L. Dreeye
D1 Football Coach Accused of Running False ‘Ponzi Scheme’

Mike McIntyre, FIU Argument Chair
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Florida International head coach Mike McIntyre was forced to apologize for a comment he made regarding this story of his college football program earlier this week. However, a large group of his former players are warning others not to believe his apology due to their poor experiences under the 59-year-old.

If what they say is true, their stories reflect poorly on McIntyre and Miami culture.

That proverbial snowball started rolling Tuesday during the head coach’s weekly media appearance. He was asked if 2025 would be a make-or-break year for him and the Panthers. In response, he joked that “this program didn’t have a good story at all to begin with.”

As might be expected, his comments were not well received. Countless FIU fans, alumni and former players have expressed disappointment in McIntyre’s opinion. 36 hours of backlash eventually forced him to apologize on Wednesday.

I would like to take a moment to clear the air and apologize for a comment I made during yesterday’s press conference. I wanted to convey to you that any recovery process is fraught with difficulties. While these challenges are part of the journey, my comments do not adequately reflect the many historical accomplishments of our program and players.

It was incredible to hear stories from former players, especially about five bowl appearances, a conference championship win, a historic win over the University of Miami, and a bowl win in just our eighth year in business. We are proud of the way our student-athletes have given their all to our program and many have achieved great success on and off the field.

We have a clear vision for the future of our program, and although we are not there yet, I truly believe we are on the right path. I have already seen promising signs of what is to come, and I remain deeply committed and optimistic about our program and our players.

— Mike McIntyre

McIntyre was hired in 2022. The Panthers went 4-8 in their first year. And two. They are currently 3-7 with two games remaining against Kennesaw State and MTSU. 5-7 is very important, but it won’t help.

If McIntyre had made his “bad history” comments by exceeding expectations instead of missing a bowl game three years in a row, they might have been received differently. Instead, it was destroyed. To make matters worse, some of his former players have decided to tell the truth about their time at FIU.

Is Mike McIntyre the problem?!

Reggie Peterson was the first to tell his story. In fact, he abandoned the program in September, right at the start of the senior college football season.

The 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker was considered one of the best players in Conference USA after making 104 tackles in 12 starts last season. Most, if not all, major media outlets voted him to the All-CUSA Preseason First Team for the fall. He was even chosen as team captain as a former casual player!

Peterson played just one game for the Panthers in 2024 before abruptly retiring. No one knew then why he decided to leave, but we know it now. His departure is directly related to McIntyre’s leadership of the Florida International program.

Peterson’s story of McIntyre throwing a chair in the locker room seemed to resonate with some of his former teammates. Caleb Lynum, who played for FIU from 2018-2022, was hit in the face.

Davon Strickland, once the team’s leading player, believes change is necessary.

I remember that break like it was yesterday! The behavior exhibited in the locker room that day was completely unacceptable! Throwing chairs, overturning tables… FIU does not deserve this!

— Davon Strickland

Peterson hopes his decision to speak out against McIntyre will inspire others to do the same.

DO NOT be afraid to speak up if you were at FIU’s 2022 home game against FAU where he threw a chair and hit a player. That day, FIU players decided to transfer to Power 4 schools. Some people left with ZERO FILM. They would rather take the risk of playing somewhere else.

— Reggie Peterson

He also told two additional stories about his final seasons with the program.

  1. He gave the worst pre-game speech against WKU in 2022. “They are bigger than us, Stronger than us, Faster than us, Faster than us, but we are smarter. Go out and kick some ass”…. What??? We lost that game 73-0.
  2. In 2023, he told a quarterback: “You suck, you suck. Useless, you suck as a player,” the player then said, “You’re my coach, coach me, you tell me I suck, then why am I playing?” This defender still plays for the team. After verbal abuse…

— Reggie Peterson

There are always three sides to every story. In this case, there is a Peterson side, a McIntyre side, and the truth, which most likely lies somewhere in the middle. Judging by the growing protests from former players, it seems the truth is probably closer to what the guys in the locker room are saying. Let’s see.

As of this writing, neither Florida International nor Mike McIntyre have issued a statement regarding the allegations. They will both have to do this in the coming days, regardless of whether this event is separate or joint.