Simmons takes reins at UE By STEVE FORD
March 16, 2007
No introductions were needed when one of the most-anticipated coaching decisions at the University of Evansville was made public Thursday.
The ovation started for Marty Simmons, the former Aces star and Illinois high school legend from Lawrenceville, as soon as he entered a room at the Union Building as the new men's basketball coach at Evansville.
Simmons followed school mascot Ace Purple and all the returning players from a 14-17 team into the room and waited patiently as university President Stephen Jennings and athletics director Bill McGillis took turns at the podium.
Jennings declared it a "great day to be a Purple Ace as we welcome back one of the most notable athletes in the history of the University of Evansville, in any sport, as our new head coach."
Said McGillis: "It's been a heckuva couple of weeks. I'm glad it's over, as I'm sure Marty is. We consulted with many of our
constituents and looked at many coaches, but in the end no one had the understanding of or passion for Evansville basketball Marty did."
McGillis said one of the most-telling meetings he had during the search process was his first, with former coach Jim Crews, now at Army.
"It was the best money I spent during the search," said McGillis. "I wanted the opportunity to learn more about and reflect on Evansville basketball with coach Crews. We met for five or six hours.
"Marty's name didn't come up until the very end of the conversation and, to be honest, I only remember one thing. He said, 'Marty Simmons is Evansville basketball.' It's now my privilege to introduce him as UE's next head coach."
A second, sustained ovation greeted Simmons at the podium. He dropped his head and composed himself before thanking the gathering of school supporters, including former players and booster club members.
Then he revealed his heart.
"The pride and passion I have for Evansville basketball, this university and the community is overwhelming," said Simmons. "We have tradition, we have history, we have support. It's all right here. It's an honor and privilege to be the head coach here. I will be tireless in my efforts to make this program a winner, something we can all be proud of again. It's never been a secret - this is a position I've always dreamed about."
Simmons had the opportunity to see that dream come true in the wake of five losing seasons in five years under Steve Merfeld, who resigned after posting a 54-91 record.
McGillis said the job search began with two dozen candidates. He whittled that number down to "about a dozen phone calls." McGillis didn't give an exact number but said he interviewed about "half that many."
Simmons comes to UE from Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, a Division II school in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. He turned SIUE from a loser into a team that just completed its fourth straight winning season. He was 88-59 in his five seasons with the Cougars, including 48 wins in 2005 and 2006. His 2006 team finished 25-8 and made an appearance in the Elite Eight and earned him GLVC Coach of the Year.
Simmons greets four players who started at various times last season, including point guard and second-leading scorer Jason Holsinger.
"He had a very detailed vision of where he wants to take this team," said Holsinger, a sophomore who averaged 11.5 points. "We all had some questions about how we would play next season. But instead of telling us how we'd play, he said he'd evaluate what we had and then formulate a plan on how to best utilize it all. I think it got the guys excited about getting back to work and moving forward."
Sophomore Shy Ely said Simmons made quick believers of the team. "It's exciting to have someone here so passionate about Evansville basketball," said Ely. "You could just hear in his voice that he believes in us and what we can do here. He's going to prepare us and we're going to be successful. I'm relieved it's all over."
Simmons had two stints as an assistant at UE under Crews, his former coach, before taking the SIUE job in 2002.
www.courierpress.com/news/2007/mar/16/simmons-takes-reins-at-ue/