Simons, a native of Bloomsburg, Pa., competed on the 1994 and 1995 World Championship teams and was a member of the 1996 U.S. Olympic Men’s Gymnastics Team. He and his teammates won team gold medals at the 1995 Pan-American Games and the 1994 Pacific Alliance Championships, where he also earned the silver on still rings. At the 1996 nationals, he won the still rings title, was second on parallel bars, and fourth in the all-around.
During a successful college career at Ohio State, Simons earned numerous honors throughout his four years, including the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and the Nissen-Emery Award, which is given to the nation’s top senior gymnast. He was a four-year member of the All-Big 10 team while earning four Big 10 Conference titles on the parallel bars (1992, 1994), still rings (1992), and high bar (1993).
He graduated from OSU in 1996 with a degree in exercise physiology. In 2006, Simons was one of 12 Ohio State alumni inducted into the OSU Athletics Hall of Fame. He was the head coach of the Air Force Academy men’s gymnastics team. Prior to his appointment at the Academy, Simons spent five seasons with the University of California – Berkeley Bears. He was an assistant coach from 2001-05 and then held the title of associate head coach for the final year of his stay in Berkeley. He received the West Region Coach of the Year Award in 2008 and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Coach of the Year in 2006.
