Former LCM Coach Joins Port Arthur Staff

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http://www.lamarpa.edu./gen/campus-announcements.html#1181146157

Campus Announcements

06/06/2007 - Former LC-M coach joins Lamar State hoop staff 

Lamar State College-Port Arthur added an assistant coach position to

its men's basketball program today with the hiring of Oliver Simmons, a

former Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School head coach who was on

the University of Kentucky's 1997 national championship team as a

freshman and later was a two-year starter at Florida State University

before playing several seasons of professional basketball in Europe and

the United States.

"We are fortunate to find someone with Oliver's impressive

qualifications, both as a player and as a coach," said Lamar State head

coach Don Bryson, who has been leading the program by himself since its

inception in 2004.

Bryson, a retired coach and school administrator in the Port

Neches-Groves Independent School District, originally planned to coach

the Seahawks for three years, get the program off the ground and then

retire again. The progress Bryson saw, especially this past season,

changed his mind. He agreed to coach another year if he could have an

assistant to help with recruiting and running the team.

"Oliver's familiarity with area high school coaches also should be a

big plus, especially in recruiting," Bryson said.

Simmons also will teach in the LSC-PA Kinesiology Program.

"We advertised this position nationwide, looking for a coach with a

masters degree who also can teach," said Lamar State athletic director

Bill Worsham. "We received resumes from many highly qualified

candidates. The selection committee chose Coach Simmons because he has

an extensive background as a collegiate and professional basketball

player and as a head coach of two successful high school programs. He

is familiar with the high school programs in this area and is

well-prepared to begin coaching at the college level."

Simmons currently is head coach at Olympia High School in Orlando, Fl.,

where he compiled an 82-68 record in the past two years while turning

around a program that went 6-24 the year before the took the job.

Simmons' team went 18-12 in 2006 and 21-9 this year, the first 20-win

season in the school's history.

Simmons still holds the career rebounding and scoring records at

Lipscomb High School in Nashville, Tn., where the 6'-9" power forward

was a 2A all-state player in 1994 and 1995.

Simmons was recruited to the University of Kentucky by legendary coach

Rick Pitino. He played on Kentucky's 1996 national championship team as

a freshman, then broke his leg early in his sophomore year and didn't

play much.

The next year, Simmons transferred to Florida State University, where

he was a two-year starter, leading the team in rebounds as a senior.

Simmons also was the team's top performer in the classroom in 1998,

1999 and 2000 while earning a bachelors degree in Business Management

and a masters degree in Physical Education with a specialization in

Sports Administration.

After college, Simmons played professional basketball in Sweden and

Holland. He also played pro ball in the United States for the ABA

Memphis Houn' Dogs and the IBA Des Moines Dragons.

Simmons coached the LC-M Bears to a 60-61 record from 2002 to 2005,

going 18-12 the final year before taking the Orlando job.

Simmons will join the Lamar State staff on July 1. He and Bryson will

be recruiting players for the Seahawks' fourth season and second year

in the Division III Metro Athletic Association.

"I'm very excited to be back in Texas," Simmons said. "I missed being

here, and I'm looking forward to this new challenge."

Recent high school graduates and other students who will be attending

Lamar State College-Port Arthur in the fall are invited to contact the

LSC-PA coaching staff.

[JMay]

Looks like Bryson found his successor whenever he is ready to retire.

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