In two seasons as head coach, Willie Simmons has re-established Prairie View A&M football as a championship contender in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
The Panthers have won 15 of 18 conference games under Simmons, who is the first Prairie View A&M head football coach since PVAMU Hall Of Famer Hoover Wright (1966-67) to post winning seasons in his first two seasons as head coach. Simmons led the Prairie View A&M to an 8-2 mark in 2015, followed by a 7-4 mark last season.
The 2016 season opener saw the Panthers open their new 15,000 seat football stadium live in a nationally televised game on ESPNU with a dramatic come-from-behind victory over arch-rival Texas Southern in the first Labor Day Classic played on The Hill.
Known for his high-scoring offenses, Simmons' Panthers have scored 30 or more points 15 times in 21 games, including six occasions in 2016. PVAMU's 57-point outburst in the season finale at Arkansas-Pine Bluff was the highest since 2013 and the most in a non-overtime game by the Panthers since 2005.
Defensively, Prairie View A&M ranked among the nation's leaders in sacks n 2016, and have recorded at least one sack in 19 of 21 games under Simmons, including two or more sacks 15 times.
In 2015, the Panthers were the highest-scoring Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) team in the nation in 2015, averaging 44.9 points per game. The Panthers scored at 38 points or more nine times, including three 40-point games, and four 50-point games.
PVAMU also led the SWAC total offense (487.5 ypg/6th NCAA), passing offense (278.0 ypg/15th NCAA), passing efficiency (152.0/10th NCAA), and ranked second in rushing offense (206.5 ypg/21st NCAA).
QB Trey Green led the SWAC in passing yards per game (261.4), and was second in passing yards (2,614), touchdown passes (21), and total offense (285.7 ypg) while throwing only three interceptions in 308 attempts. RB Johnta Hebert earned first-team All-SWAC honors, leading the league in all-purpose yards (2,012) while ranking second in rushing yards per game (93.7), fourth in rushing yards (937), and eighth in receiving yards (575).
Under Simmons’ guidance, Panther football finished the 2014-15 campaign with a single-year Academic Progress Report (APR) rate of 975, the highest among all football programs in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
Simmons was selected as the 32nd head football coach in Prairie View A&M history on December 15, 2014. He came to Prairie View A&M after an impressive three-year stint as the offensive coordinator at Alcorn State, winning the 2014 SWAC and SBN Black College National Championships.
With Simmons on staff, Alcorn State fielded one of the most potent offenses in the country during its champion run as they led the SWAC in seven offensive categories while also finishing second in the nation amongst Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) teams in scoring offense with 44 points per game.
Alcorn State quarterback John Gibbs, Jr. flourished in Simmons’ offense as he was named SWAC Co-Offensive Player of the Year while breaking several long-standing records held by ASU legend and former NFL standout Steve “Air” McNair. In addition to Gibbs’ accolades, ASU had four players who rushed for at least 691 yards and a balanced wide receiving corps which featured four players catching 22-plus receptions.
In Simmons’ second season at Alcorn State in 2013, the Braves had a major turnaround offensively from his first season as they finished second in total offense, second in scoring offense, third in rushing offense, fourth in pass offense and third in pass efficiency. Three offensive players earned All-SWAC honors with senior Arnold Walker having a career season as he led the SWAC in rushing yards (1,191) and rushing touchdowns (16). Walker also finished as ASU’s all-time rushing leader and the Braves finished 9-3 and had their first winning season since 2006 and nine-win campaign since 1984.
Prior to Alcorn State, Simmons spent five seasons at Middle Tennessee State. As one of the newest members in the Football Bowl Subdivision (former Division I) level at the time, the Blue Red Raiders made two consecutive postseason bowl appearances for the first time in school history (2008 and 2009) and set an MTSU FBS-record with 10 wins in 2009.
In 2011, Simmons was named offensive coordinator at Middle Tennessee State as he was one of the youngest coordinators in the nation at only 30 years old. During that season, the Blue Raider offense led the Sun Belt in total offense and rushing offense, while ranking second in passing offense and scoring. Before being elevated to the role of offensive coordinator, Simmons served as running backs coach and passing game coordinator at MTSU from 2007 to 2010. In 2010, Simmons coached the three-headed backfield of Phillip Tanner, Benjamin Cunningham, and D.D. Kyles which helped the Blue Raiders produce one of the top rushing attacks in the country while combining for 21 touchdowns. All three averaged more than 4.5 yards a carry, and Tanner garnered All-Conference honors.
Simmons made his way to Murfreesboro, Tenn. in 2007 after one season on Tommy Bowden’s staff at Clemson, where he was a graduate assistant. Simmons worked with the offense while handling various other duties with the program as the team earned a spot in the 2006 Music City Bowl.
Simmons, a native of Quincy, Fla., lettered three years as a quarterback at Clemson from 2000 to 2002 and passed for 2,530 yards and 16 touchdowns in 24 games. As a freshman, Simmons came off the bench for a hurt Woodrow Dantzler and threw for 228 yards and a record-tying four touchdowns in Clemson’s 38-24 win at North Carolina to earn ACC Rookie of the Week honors. Simmons played two years as a backup to Dantzler before becoming the starter in 2002.
Following three years at Clemson in which he participated in four postseason bowl games, Simmons transferred to the Citadel in 2003 and earned First Team All-Southern Conference honors.
A prep star at Shanks High, Simmons threw for over 6,000 yards and 96 touchdowns during his brilliant career while also earning a 3.8 grade point average.
Simmons, who was born on October 12, 1980, in Tallahassee, Fla., earned a degree in Sports Marketing from Clemson in 2002. He was the fastest football player to graduate at Clemson, accomplishing the milestone in three years.
Simmons and his wife Shaia Rene, have two daughters, Raven, Shailoh and two sons, Louis III, and Wraylon.
