GoHeels Exclusive: Jackson Simmons At Home In Coaching

by Pat James, GoHeels.com

Growing up in Webster, N.C., Jackson Simmons could often be found on the bench at Smoky Mountain High girls basketball games.

His mother, Cindi, coached the team. And when he wasn't studying film with her or scrimmaging with her players – an exercise that ended when Simmons accidentally elbowed one of Cindi's best performers – he kept stats on the bench.

"She always says her stats were right and mine weren't," said Simmons, a former walk-on forward who played in 115 games at North Carolina. "So there's some contradiction on that."

But it's never been disputed that he wanted to follow in the footsteps of Cindi and his father Si, who was a coach and athletic director at Smoky Mountain, and stay involved with basketball once his playing career ended.

Simmons' last game in the Smith Center came on March 7, 2015. Almost 1,000 days later, he returned on Wednesday, this time as Western Carolina's director of basketball operations.

Before the Tar Heels' 104-61 win, Simmons received a nice applause during pregame introductions. He also paused for a moment to take a photo with Roy Williams, Hubert Davis and other members of the UNC coaching staff who greatly influenced him.

"It was all about teaching, and they helped me grow up," said Simmons of his time in Chapel Hill. "I knew I always wanted to stay around the game. But toward the end (of my career), I wanted to really be a coach."

Williams and Joe Holladay, a former Tar Heel assistant coach and director of operations, aided Simmons during the job-hunting process after he graduated. Simmons said their connections helped him land his first coaching job as a graduate assistant at Charlotte.

With the 49ers, Simmons helped plan and organize the daily practice schedules and also assisted in film editing and game plan development. Those duties required making a few adjustments.

"You have to take off the player's hat …" said Simmons about the transition to coaching. "The biggest thing you have to always remember is it's about making other guys better. And if you can make that impact on somebody, that should be what you're in it for."

Simmons received similar lessons from Williams. And although he totaled 129 points and 119 rebounds in 562 minutes at UNC, Simmons twice earned the Marvin Williams Carolina Way Award for playing hard, being unselfish and putting the team first.

It's that sort of play that makes Joel Berry II, who was a freshman during Simmons' senior season, believe Simmons will succeed in coaching.

"That's what's missing from some teams," Berry said. "Everybody thinks being a good player is about putting the ball in the basket, and that's not necessarily what it is. So him being that kind of player when he was here, that will help guys understand, 'I can be a good player without putting the ball in the basket.'"

After two seasons with Charlotte, Simmons became the director of operations at Western Carolina in July. Logistics management is his primary responsibility. He said he's also involved in meetings.

"Jackson is a great individual and a really good young coach," said Western Carolina head coach Larry Hunter. "He's just working his butt off learning and carrying out his director of operations duties. He's just doing a great job for us."

As a child, Simmons often visited Western Carolina, about five miles from Webster. Cindi and Si both played basketball for the Catamounts, and Cindi is a member of the school's Athletic Hall of Fame.

Simmons' return has allowed him to reconnect with many friends and family members. He said he cherishes that, knowing his life will change on Sept. 8, 2018, when he marries Nicole Peterson, the daughter of former Tar Heel player Buzz Peterson.

"In this profession, you don't know where life is going to take you, and the biggest thing is you've just got to trust God," Simmons said. "I think by me coming back, He's allowed me to enjoy spending time with my family and people I've been away from since I've been in college. I've really made sure I've taken that to the fullest advantage.

"I think it's been a blessing to come home and try to help this program get better."

Players Mentioned

Joel Berry II

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