Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 1990
A native of Lancaster, Missouri, Simmons had a long and decorated career at MU, as head baseball coach and a trusty football assistant to Don Faurot. In baseball, he coached from 1937 to 1973, posting a record of 481-294-3. His teams won 11 conference championships (1937-38-41-42-52-54-58-62-63-64-65) and the first NCAA title in school history – 1954. In all, he led MU to six appearances in the NCAA College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1953-54-58-62-63-64-65. He coached 19 all-Americans, including nine first-team choices, 25 all-district and 37 all-conference players. A former president of the American Baseball Coaches Association, Simmons was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 1977 and is also a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. His uniform number-34 is retired.
