Marty Simmons Returns to the OVC

Former SIUE Coach Joins Eastern Illinois

Editor: The following is part of a press release from eiupanthers.com.

(Charleston, IL) – Eastern Illinois Athletic Director Tom Michael has announced that Marty Simmons has been hired as the Panthers men’s basketball coach.

A press conference to formally introduce Simmons will be held on Thursday afternoon at First Mid Court at Lantz Arena and will be streamed on Facebook Live.

Simmons has 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 is currently on the coaching staff at Clemson where the Tigers played in this year’s NCAA Tournament.

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.