Michigan State women’s basketball head coach Suzy Merchant announced today the hiring of Mark Simons as an assistant coach. Simons has been involved in collegiate basketball coaching for over 35 years, most recently, being as assistant coach at Auburn University for the last four seasons.

Surrounding his two stays at Auburn, Simons spent two years at Georgia Tech, the last as the Associate Head Coach. Both seasons the Yellow Jackets advanced to the NCAA Tournament and won at least 20 games, including a then-program best 22 wins in 2007-08. It also marked the first time in program history that the team played in back-to-back NCAAs, including winning its first NCAA game in 2007.

Prior to moving into the women’s basketball coaching circle, Simons was the head men’s basketball coach at Elon University in Elon, N.C. He was the head coach at Elon for 10 seasons (1993-2003), helping transition the program to the Division I level beginning in 1997. His tenure was highlighted by a trip the NCAA Division II Tournament in 1997, after leading the Phoenix to the South Atlantic Conference Tournament title.

Simons also held head coach positions at Georgia College & State University from 1991-93 and St. Andrews College from 1986-91 prior to moving over to Elon. While at St. Andrews, where he was also the athletic director, Simons was named both the 1988 South Region and Dixie Conference Coach of the Year, and the 1990 Carolinas Conference Coach of the Year.

Before becoming a head coach, Simons was an assistant coach at Saginaw Valley State for 10 seasons (1976-86) and at his alma mater, Aquinas College for one year (1975-76).

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