Skip To Main Content

Harding University Athletics

Paul Simmons

INTERVIEWS
On 103.7 the Buzz - April 15, 2020
GAC Media Day - Aug. 4, 2022
On Coaches & The Mouth - Dec. 15, 2023 - Week before the national championship game
National Championship Game On-Field Interview - Dec. 16, 2023
NCAA National Championship Postgame Press Conference - Dec. 16, 2023
On 103.7 the Buzz - Dec. 18, 2023
Simmons Receives AFCA National Coach of the Year - Feb. 8, 2024

 AT HARDING
In 2017, Paul Simmons became Harding's 13th head football coach in program history and the sixth since the university restarted football in 1959.

In Simmons' seven seasons ...
  • He led the Bisons to the 2023 NCAA Division II National Championship, Harding's first national championship in an NCAA sport, with a 38-7 victory over Colorado School of Mines.
  • He was the 2023 AFCA National Coach of the Year, 2023 Don Hansen Football National Coach of the Year, 2023 D2Football.com National Coach of the Year, 2023 Arkansas-Democrat Gazette Sportsperson of the Year and 2023 Great American Conference Coach of the Year.
  • He has a 77-14 overall record, becoming Harding's fastest head coach to 50 career wins ... has an .870 winning percentage in conference games ... has won nine or more games every season and 10 or more five times.
  • Harding has won the 2021, 2023 and 2024 Great American Conference championships and has never finished lower than second.
  • Harding finished the season ranked in the AFCA Top 25 every season, topping out at No. 1 in 2023.
  • Harding has reached the NCAA Division II Playoffs six times, compiling a 10-5 record and winning the 2023 national championship, reaching the national semifinals in 2017 and reaching the Super Region 3 finals in 2024 ... no other active coach in the GAC has more than one NCAA II Playoff win.
  • Harding has had 102 All-GAC honorees and 43 All-America citations.
  • The Bisons have had 152 Academic All-GAC recipients and 12 Academic All-Americans.
Simmons spent the previous 11 seasons as an assistant coach at Harding, joining the staff in 2006. He became Harding’s assistant head coach in 2008 and the defensive coordinator in 2010.

Simmons has coached in 21 Harding postseason games, including the 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2024 NCAA Division II Playoffs and the 2013 Live United Texarkana Bowl.

BEFORE HARDING
Before coming to Harding, Simmons coached at Harding Academy of Memphis for eight seasons, compiling a 51-38 record and leading the Lions to six state playoff trips. Led by Simmons, Harding Academy, who had never won a playoff game, advanced to the state semifinals four times.

Simmons served as a graduate assistant defensive line coach at Harding University from 1997-98.

He was defensive coordinator and assistant track coach at Harding Academy of Memphis during the 1996-97 school year.

PLAYING CAREER
Simmons was a three-time All-America honoree at Harding University as a linebacker and defensive end. He compiled 415 career tackles (second all-time at HU) and 18.0 sacks (fourth all-time at HU) and was inducted into the Harding Athletics Hall of Fame in 1999. Simmons is the only Harding football player ever to earn first team All-America honors three times.

EDUCATION
Simmons earned his bachelor’s degree in social science from Harding University in 1995.

FAMILY
A native of Ashdown, Arkansas, he is married to the former Kimberly Hatcher of Jackson, Tennessee. The couple have three children.

PLAYING EXPERIENCE
Ashdown (Arkansas) HS, quarterback/linebacker (1988-90)
Harding, defensive end/linebacker (1991-94)

COACHING EXPERIENCE
1996-97    Harding Academy (Tennessee), defensive coordinator
1997-98    Harding, graduate assistant
1998-2005    Harding Academy (Tennessee), head coach
2006-09    Harding, defensive line coach
2010-16    Harding, defensive coordinator/defensive line coach
2017-present    Harding, head coach
 
Simmons's Harding Coaching Record
Year Overall Record Pct. GAC Record Pct. Finish Postseason
2017 11-4 .733 8-3 .727 t-2nd NCAA Semifinals
2018 9-3 .750 9-2 .818 2nd NCAA Playoffs
2019 10-2 .833 10-1 .909 2nd NCAA Playoffs
2020 No season - COVID-19
2021 11-2 .846 10-1 .909 1st NCAA Playoffs
2022 9-2 .818 9-2 .818 2nd
2023 15-0 1.000 11-0 1.000 1st NCAA National Champions
2024 12-2 .857 10-1 .909 t-1st NCAA Super Region Finals
Totals 77-15 .837 67-10 .870