Eastern Illinois University Athletics

Position: Assistant Coach - Offensive Line
Years at EIU: 1st year
Alma Mater: Indiana State

Veteran coach and Illinois native Mike Simmonds will join Eastern Illinois head coach Kim Dameron’s staff serving as the offensive line coach for the 2016 season.  Simmonds is from Belleville, Ill., playing his prep football at Belleville West HS and his college football at Indiana State, followed by a four-year career in the National Football League.
 
Simmonds coached at North Texas from 2011-2015 serving on the staff as the Mean Green program transitioned from the Sun Belt Conference to Conference USA.  Employing a physical style of play at the offensive line position Simmonds group paved the way to three 2,000 yard rushing seasons in five years with the team falling just short of that mark in 2015 averaging 158.7 yards per game on the ground.
 
In 2014 the Mean Green ranked first in the nation in red zone offense with the team rushing for 21 touchdowns, the eighth most in program history.  The team was anchored by one of the best lineman in school history with Cyril Lemon earning his fourth straight All-Conference honor on the offensive line.  Lemon was the only player in the nation to start 49 straight games and earn four straight All-Conference honors.
 
In 2013 North Texas posted three 300-yard rushing games as Simmonds offensive line group had seven such games during his time on the staff.  The 2013 team finished the year with 2,349 yards the eighth most in school history as they posted a 9-4 record winning the Heart of Dallas Bowl over UNLV.  That group was one of the best in nation in terms of protecting the quarterback as they finished seventh among FBS teams in fewest sacks allowed. 
 
Over a two-year span North Texas twice ranked in the top-10 in the nation in fewest sacks allowed with 17 quarterback sacks during the 2012 and 2013 seasons.  In 2012, North Texas played nine of its 12 games without allowing a sack.  On the ground the offensive line helped three running backs finish with more than 500 yards on the ground for the first time in school history in 2012.
 
During his stint at North Texas Simmonds coached eight players to All-Conference honors with his group blocking for the school’s all-time leading rusher Lance Dunbar.  In 2011 the offensive line led the way for Dunbar’s school record setting performance of 313 yards against Middle Tennessee.
 
Prior to joining the staff at North Texas, Simmonds coached one season at Indiana State helping the Sycamores post a 6-5 record for the program’s first winning season since 1996.  Prior to the six wins, ISU had won two games in the previous five seasons. 
 
Simmonds was on the staff at South Florida from 2006-09.  His first season in 2006 he worked as a graduate assistant coach before taking over offensive line duties in 2007.  During his time with the USF program the Bulls led the Big East Conference in total offense in 2008 averaging 405.0 yards per game.  The team was third in the conference in rushing offense at 165.4 yards per game.  During his three seasons as a full-time coach USF was nationally ranked during each season climbing as high as No. 2 in the national polls during the 2007 season.  All four years on the staff USF played in a Bowl Game with appearances in the PapaJohns.com Bowl, Sun Bowl, St. Petersburg Bowl and International Bowl.  USF was 3-1 in bowl games with Simmonds on the staff  with 34 overall wins.
 
A graduate of Indiana State, Simmonds started 46 games in his career earning I-AA All-American honors.  He was a member of the Sycamores 1983 and 1984 FCS playoff teams.  He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 10th round of the 1987 NFL Draft.  Simmonds played four seasons in the NFL with Tampa Bay and San Diego.  He started at offensive guard for Tampa Bay in 1989, part of an offense that earned NFC Offensive Players of the Week in a game against Chicago. 
 
Following his professional career Simmonds was a successful high school coach in the Tampa area before joining the USF staff.  He coached six years as an assistant at Hillsborough HS helping the team win 54 games.  From 1998-2005 he was the head coach at Jefferson HS in Tampa posting a 75-29 overall record.  He coached in FHSAA State Championship Games three times in 1996, 2002 and 2004.
 
Simmonds was inducted into the Indiana State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007.  He was named to both the Gateway Conference 20th Anniversary Team and Gateway Conference All-Decade Team (1980’s).
 
He and his wife Jamie have three daughters – Amanda, Lauren and Emily.