Soccer Hires John Simmons as Director of Soccer Operations & Administration – ulteach : Online Teaching , Ethics And More

RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The College of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Head Soccer Coach Travis Bushintroduced on Friday the hiring of John Simmons, a former soccer chief of workers at Rice who performed for Bush on the inaugural UTSA staff in 2011, because the Vaqueros’ first director of soccer operations & administration.

In Simmons’ new position with the Vaqueros, his day-to-day obligations will embody a myriad of duties associated to serving to construct and maintain the operations of the UTRGV soccer program by working carefully with Bush and UTRGV Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque.

Simmons involves UTRGV from Canyon Center College in New Braunfels, the place he was the athletics director and head soccer coach this previous season, a place by which he labored with Bush, who held the identical place at Canyon Excessive College.

“Hiring John Simmons proper off the bat is like returning the opening kickoff for a landing,” Bush mentioned. “John is without doubt one of the brightest younger minds within the occupation. He’ll add nice worth to UTRGV in many alternative areas. His expertise as a participant in our preliminary years at UTSA will give our student-athletes a perspective nobody else can. His expertise as chief of workers at Rice alongside along with his position in constructing their new soccer facility will likely be an enormous key as we begin constructing our services. His relationships with Texas Excessive College coaches are phenomenal, and surely that will likely be crucial facet of hiring the appropriate workers to #RallyTheValley.”

Simmons has intensive expertise in Division I school soccer, becoming a member of UTSA for the apply yr in 2010 earlier than enjoying as a quarterback and large receiver for 3 years. He was then a soccer operations intern in the course of the spring of his senior yr.

Simmons joined Rice because the assistant recruiting coordinator and occasions specialist in July 2014, serving in that position for 4 years earlier than spending two years because the chief of workers.

After one yr as an enterprise options analyst at Indeavor, Simmons returned to teaching with Pieper Ranch Center College within the spring of 2021 earlier than becoming a member of Canyon.

“I am excited in regards to the alternative to affix Coach Bush and start the profitable custom at UTRGV,” Simmons mentioned. “Coach Bush is a confirmed chief of males and winner on and off the sector. He coached me at UTSA, so I’ve seen it first-hand. I consider in him and the way in which he develops younger males and construct relationships. Coach Bush is essentially the most aggressive particular person I do know. I’m assured that his management and Chasse’s management will assist to information us to create success. I am unable to wait to get began.”

Rice (2014-19)

In his six seasons at Rice, Simmons’ duties included recruiting, operations, participant personnel, participant improvement, fundraising, advertising, and public relations. Rice noticed their recruiting division flourish – signing two record-breaking lessons, together with the highest-rated recruit in program historical past.

The Owls additionally excelled within the classroom, rating within the high 10% of all FBS applications in commencement success charge, setting two program data for highest staff grade level common, incomes the American Soccer Coaches Affiliation Tutorial Excellence Award, and rating fourth within the FBS in tutorial progress charge.

On the sector, Rice developed quite a few NFL gamers, with 9 nonetheless lively, and the staff gained the 2014 Hawaii Bowl. Simmons led and deliberate journeys to Sydney, Australia for a recreation in opposition to Stanford in 2017, and twice took the staff to Honolulu, Hawaii (2014 & 2018).

Throughout his time working for Mike Bloomgren (2018-19), Simmons served as chief of workers, offering administrative oversight for this system, and directing help to the pinnacle coach. Simmons oversaw all non-coaching actions, together with, personnel and staffing, recruiting, lecturers, neighborhood outreach applications, summer season camps, and all different day-to-day operations. Simmons served because the soccer program’s liaison to the college administration and all different items inside Rice Athletics. He additionally performed a key position in fundraising and outreach for this system whereas coordinating soccer alumni communications.

Simmons performed an integral position within the 2016 services improve of the Brian Patterson Sports activities Efficiency Heart. The challenge included a 60,000 sq ft. soccer constructing within the north finish zone at Rice Stadium. His roles included the coordination of fundraising efforts of former Rice soccer gamers. From 2015 via the completion of the challenge, Simmons represented the soccer staff within the design means of the locker room, gamers’ lounge, weight room, coach’s places of work, and recruiting lounge.

“John is a pushed, shiny person that was an integral a part of reshaping our tradition at Rice,” Bloomgren mentioned. “His capacity to attach and create relationships amongst our gamers, workers and donors was pivotal in transferring our program ahead. I’m excited for John and UTRGV soccer, and I sit up for watching them construct a stellar program.”

In Simmons’ first yr at Rice, he labored because the right-hand man of head coach David Bailiff (2014-17) and served because the assistant recruiting coordinator and occasions specialist. In that position, Simmons was chargeable for the day-to-day recruiting operations. This included organizing all official and unofficial visits to campus, monitoring prospect data, creating seasonal recruiting campaigns, and coordinating the pinnacle coach’s recruiting actions. Simmons was chargeable for occasions such because the worldwide clinic, ladies’s clinic, lettermen luncheon, golf tournaments, freshmen onboarding, and a number of other features with highschool coaches.

Different duties embody recreation day administration for coaches’ households and recruits, neighborhood outreach, the coordination and planning of staff occasions associated to the soccer program, the annual staff awards banquet and particular tasks, walk-on course of, and the admissions procession for all incoming college students.

“He’s an incredible younger man,” Bailiff mentioned. “He was my chief of workers at Rice, and he all the time impressed me along with his excessive degree of group and element. He can assist you with recruiting, camps, logistics, and extra. There is no hat he did not put on for me, and he did all of it nicely. I might rent him once more in a minute.”

Enjoying Profession

A 2014 graduate of UTSA with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations, Simmons walked on to the inaugural UTSA staff as a quarterback earlier than shifting to large receiver and incomes a scholarship throughout his last season in 2013.

Initially from New Braunfels, Simmons was a four-sport lettermen at New Braunfels Excessive College in soccer, basketball, swimming & diving and observe & area. He twice led the soccer staff to the state semifinals as a quarterback, incomes All-District 26-5A honors as his staff completed 11-4 as a senior. He was additionally a two-time 5A District Champion within the 300-meter hurdles and a state finalist because the anchor of the 4×400-meter relay as a senior.

$25 for ’25

Season ticket deposits for the inaugural season of UTRGV soccer are at present being accepted for simply $25 per ticket at UTRGVTickets.com. The Vaqueros take the sector for his or her first season of competitors in 2025.