SMU women’s basketball Head Coach Toyelle Wilson completed her coaching staff as Kyley Simmons joins Jhasmin Player and Gary Redus as an assistant coach.
Simmons has been at Eastern Illinois for the last four seasons. She was promoted to associate head coach prior to the 2019-20 season. In her second season, the program won eight more games than the previous season, finishing 11-18. Eastern Illinois continued the turnaround in 2019-20, going 19-12 after winning just three games in 2017-18, Simmons’ first season. The +16 win total over two seasons was the best in the NCAA over the time period.
“Kyley is a rising superstar in this coaching profession. She knows the game, works incredibly hard, and is very personable,” explained Wilson. “Everyone I spoke to had nothing but great things to say about her character and work ethic. She will have a huge impact on our players both on and off the court. I can’t wait to get her to the Hilltop!”
Her coaching career started at the University of Sioux Falls in 2016. While there, she helped guide the team to a 22-8 record, advancing to the conference tournament final. Prior to leaving for Eastern Illinois, Simmons helped sign one of the top recruiting classes in the conference.
She played two seasons at Illinois after transferring from Missouri, graduating in 2016. She was honored with the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award in 2015, ranked fifth in the league in 3-pointers made, and averaged 12.3 points during her career. At Missouri, she was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team after leading the Tigers in assists. As a sophomore, she was an SEC Academic Honor Roll award winner.
Photo Courtesy SMU Athletics
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