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Eastern Illinois Athletic Director
Tom Michael has announced that Marty Simmons has been hired as the Panthers men's basketball coach in March of 2021.
Simmons previously served as the head coach at his alma mater Evansville, SIUE and Wartburg (Iowa). At Evansville he won 184 games leading the Purple Aces to five postseason appearances including the 2015 CIT Championship. He won 20 or more games three times including 25 during the 2015-16 season when Evansville finished tied for second in the Missouri Valley Conference. At SIUE he won 88 games in five seasons twice guiding SIUE to the NCAA Division II Tournament. He coached one season at Wartburg.
Simmons comes to EIU after serving on the coaching staff at Clemson where the Tigers played in this year's NCAA Tournament. He becomes the fourth head coach in the Panthers NCAA Division I history and the 15th overall head coach since EIU began playing basketball in 1908.
Simmons is a native of Lawrenceville, Illinois, where as a prep player he helped lead his team to two straight Illinois State Basketball Championships and was named one of the 100 Legends of IHSA Basketball in 2006. He was Illinois Mr. Basketball in 1983.
Eastern Illinois
• Hired as 15th head coach in program history, March 31, 2021
* Begins fifth year at EIU for 2025-26 academic year
* Received two-year contract extension in spring of 2024
* Helped rebuild roster in first year featuring nine new players
* Team used 16 different starting line-ups in 2021-22, five most in NCAA Division I ranks
* Won first game as EIU head coach on Nov. 18, 2021 (W 96-64 vs. Rockford University)
* Team again featured eight new faces on roster in transfer portal era in 2023-24
* Coached team to win over Big Ten member Iowa, listed as biggest regular-season upset in last 30 years
* Coached OVC Freshman of the Year in 2022-23, with EIU winning ten OVC Freshman of the Week honors between four players
* Coached first team All-OVC selection Tiger Booker (2024)
* Coached first team All-OVC selection Nakyel Shelton (2025)
* Coached one OVC All-Newcomer Team selection
* Coached team to 2024 OVC Tournament appearance, first since 2019-20
* Coach team that set school record for steals in season with 278 (2024-25)
* EIU record (40-85, 24-50 OVC ... 4 years)
Clemson University
• Special Assistant to the Head Coach
• 2019 World University Games Gold Medalist
• 2021 NCAA Tournament
• 2019 & 2020 NIT
University of Evansville
• Head Coach from 2007-2018
• Evansville Record (184-175)
• Five Postseason Appearances
• 2015 CIT Champion (CollegeInsider.com)
• Three 20+ win seasons (best was 25-9 in 2016)
• Coached nine first team All-Missouri Valley Conference players
SIUE
• Head Coach from 2002-07
• SIUE Record (88-59)
• 2005 GLVC Coach of the Year
• 2006 NCAA Division II Tournament Elite Eight
• 2005 NCAA Tournament
• Coached eight All-GLVC Players including two Freshmen of the Year
Wartburg College
• Head Coach from 1996-97
• Wartburg Record (10-14)
University of Evansville (Assistant Coach)
• Assistant Coach (1997-02 & 1990-96)
• 1999 Missouri Valley Conference Champions
• 1999 NCAA Tournament
• 1993 Midwestern Collegiate Conference Champions
• 1993 NCAA Tournament
• 1992 Midwestern Collegiate Conference Champions
• 1992 NCAA Tournament
Personal
• Began collegiate career at Indiana University
• Finished collegiate career at University of Evansville
• Two-time first team All-Midwestern Collegiate Conference
• Jersey No. 50 retired at Evansville
• Led Evansville to second round of 1988 NIT
* Played high school basketball at Lawrenceville (Ill.) High School
• Led Lawrenceville HS to 1982 & 1983 IHSA State Championships
• 1983 Illinois Mr. Basketball
Education
Bachelor's - University of Evansville, 1987
Master's - University of Evansville, 1993
Family
Wife: Angie Simmons
Children: Cole, Brittany, Blake, Kelsey
Career Record: 296-296
Post Season Appearances as Head Coach: Seven
Post Season Appearances Player/Assistant/HC: 14
Post Season Appearances
2021 - NCAA Tournament
2020 - NIT Tournament
2019 - NIT Tournament
2015 - CIT Champion
2013 - CIT Semifinals
2012 - CBI
2011 - CBI
2009 - CIT
2006 - NCAA Tournament Elite Eight
2005 - NCAA Tournament
1999 - NCAA Tournament
1993 - NCAA Tournament
1992 - NCAA Tournament
1988 - NIT (2nd Round) - Player
| School |
Year |
Overall |
Conference |
Other |
| Wartburg |
1996-97 (1 Year) |
10-14 |
7-9 |
|
| SIUE |
2002-07 (5 Years) |
89-58 |
55-43 |
2005, '06 NCAA Tournament |
| Evansville |
2007-18 (11 Years) |
184-175 |
82-116 |
2009, '13, '15 CIT... 2011, '12 CBI ... 2015 CIT Champions |
| . |
|
|
|
|
| Eastern Illinois |
2021-22 |
5-26 |
3-15 |
|
| Eastern Illinois |
2022-23 |
9-22 |
5-13 |
|
| Eastern Illinois |
2023-24 |
14-18 |
8-10 |
OVC Tournament |
| Eastern Illinois |
2024-25 |
12-19 |
8-12 |
|
| . |
|
|
|
|
| EIU Record |
4 Years |
40-85 |
24-50 |
|
| Career Record |
21 Years |
323-332 |
168-218 |
2 NCAA Tournaments ... 3 CIT ... 2 CBI |