St. Bonaventure University women’s basketball head coach Jesse Fleming has announced the hiring of Ka-Deidre Simmons as an assistant coach.
“Ka-Deidre is going to be a great addition to the staff,” Fleming said. “She has a tremendous, decorated playing background and she comes with high-level recommendations as a player development coach who holds her players to a high standard of success. She’s had a ton of success as a player and as a coach and overall she is a high-achieving individual that’s going to make us better.”
Simmons, originally from Newark, N.J., joins the Bonnies’ staff after spending the last two seasons as the Coordinator of Basketball Operations at Seton Hall University. During her time in South Orange, Simmons helped in the development of Big East Most Improved Player and All-Big East First Team selection Lauren Park-Lane as well as Desiree Elmore, who also earned First Team honors.
Prior to coaching, Simmons was a standout player for the Pirates from 2010-15 and was inducted into the Seton Hall Athletics Hall of Fame in 2019. Simmons is the all-time leader in assists (562) and free throws made (502), second in steals (257) and is third in points (1,717). Simmons was also a two-time All-Big East First Team selection and helped lead Seton Hall to the WNIT Sweet 16 in 2014 and a NCAA Tournament bid in 2015.
Simmons played for the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun during training camp and preseason under head coach Anne Donovan. She would then move on to play two seasons professionally overseas in Finland and Romania.
After returning to the States, Simmons was an assistant coach for the New Jersey Sparks AAU team where she focused on player and team development.
Simmons earned her Bachelors Degree from Seton Hall in Broadcast and Visual Media in June 2014 and received a Masters in strategic communications in May 2020.
Simmons joins Ryan Phillips and Amber Easter as assistant coaches and Director of Operations Alysha Giarra on Fleming’s staff.
https://gobonnies.sbu.edu/sports/w-baskbl/2020-21/releases/20210429idu40f
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