Coach Mike London, with deep roots in Richmond, is leaving Howard University to become the new football coach at The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg.

The 58-year-old will succeed Coach Jimmye Laycock, who is stepping down after 39 seasons and a 249-194-2 record at W&M.

This will be Coach London’s fourth head coaching job.

Coach London was a football defensive back for the University of Richmond. Later, he served as the UR Spiders’ coach, guiding the team to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) national title in 2008.

Following two years at UR, he was coach at the University of Virginia from 2010 to 2015. For the past two years, he has coached at Howard University.

Prior to coaching, Coach London served as a Richmond police officer.

Coach London becomes W&M’s first African-American head coach. W&M opens its 2019 season on Aug. 31 at home against Lafayette College of Pennsylvania before traveling to U.Va. on Sept. 7.

W&M competes in the FCS Colonial Athletic Association, along with state rivals University of Richmond and James Madison University.