Matt Simon (American football)
Encyclopedia
Matt Simon is an American football
coach and former player in the United States
. He currently serves as the head varsity football coach at Gilmour Academy
in Gates Mills, Ohio
and as Gilmour Academy's seventh grade physical education teacher. Simon has previously coached in the collegiate ranks, most notably as head coach at the University of North Texas
from 1994 to 1997. Simon is one of only ten football coaches to win both an NCAA Division I-A/FBS national championship (with Washington in 1991
) and a Super Bowl
(with the Baltimore Ravens in 2000
).
Born in Akron, Ohio
, Simon grew up in El Paso, Texas
. He attended Burges High School
where he was a three-sport standout in football, track
and wrestling
. He earned four letters as a linebacker for the Eastern New Mexico University
Greyhounds and was later inducted into the ENMU Hall of Honors. Immediately following his playing career, Simon began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater. After one year as an assistant at Borger High School, Simon coached the tight end
and linebacker
positions at the University of Texas at El Paso
under head coach Bill Michael
.
In 1982, he became running back
s and placekicker
s coach at the University of Washington
. The Huskies
went to nine bowl game
s over a span of ten seasons. In 1991, the Huskies tied the Miami Hurricanes
for the national championship. In 1997, Simon was inducted into the University of Washington's Hall of Fame. Simon left Washington in 1992 for the offensive coordinator position at New Mexico
under head coach Dennis Franchione
. The Lobos averaged 413 yards and 30.5 points per game during that span. They ranked 13th in the country in 1992 and improved to 8th the following year.
Simon succeeded Dennis Parker
as head coach at North Texas in 1994, becoming only the 10th African American
to lead a Division I-A football squad. In his first season, Simon guided North Texas to the Southland Conference
Championship. He was named Southland Conference Coach of the Year, Black Coaches Association National Football Coach of the Year and AFCA Region 4 Coach of the Year. However, the Mean Green football program decline the next years, causing Simon to be fired in 1997.
After coaching at the Denver Broncos
training camp in 1998, Simon began his pro coaching career with the Baltimore Ravens
. Under his guidance, Baltimore rushed for an average of 1,985 yards per season and defeated the New York Giants
in Super Bowl XXXV
following the 2000 NFL season
. In 2004, the Ravens’ ground attack produced 2,063 total yards and ranked 9th in the NFL. It was Jamal Lewis
's fourth 1,000-yard rushing season under Simon. Baltimore rushed for at least 2,000 yards in three different seasons under Simon, including a team-record 2,674 yards in 2003 when Jamal Lewis was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Associated Press All-Pro and selected to the AFC Pro Bowl squad.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach and former player in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He currently serves as the head varsity football coach at Gilmour Academy
Gilmour Academy
Gilmour Academy is an independent, Roman Catholic, coeducational, college-preparatory school in the Cleveland suburb of Gates Mills, Ohio. Founded in 1946 by the Brothers of Holy Cross, it offers a Montessori preschool program and traditional kindergarten through grade 12. A boarding program is...
in Gates Mills, Ohio
Gates Mills, Ohio
Gates Mills is a village in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,270 at the 2010 census. Gates Mills is an affluent suburb of Cleveland...
and as Gilmour Academy's seventh grade physical education teacher. Simon has previously coached in the collegiate ranks, most notably as head coach at the University of North Texas
University of North Texas
The University of North Texas is a public institution of higher education and research in Denton. Founded in 1890, UNT is part of the University of North Texas System. As of the fall of 2010, the University of North Texas, Denton campus, had a certified enrollment of 36,067...
from 1994 to 1997. Simon is one of only ten football coaches to win both an NCAA Division I-A/FBS national championship (with Washington in 1991
1991 Washington Huskies football team
The 1991 Washington Huskies football team represented the University of Washington in the 1991 college football season. Head coach Don James was assisted by coordinators Keith Gilbertson and Jim Lambright , both head coaches themselves within two years.The 1991 team was arguably the finest team in...
) and a Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
(with the Baltimore Ravens in 2000
2000 Baltimore Ravens season
The Baltimore Ravens concluded the 2000 NFL season with a 12–4 record, good for second place in the AFC central, and earning them a spot in the playoffs as a wild card entrant...
).
Born in Akron, Ohio
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
, Simon grew up in El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
. He attended Burges High School
Burges High School (El Paso, Texas)
Burges High School in El Paso, Texas, USA, is a comprehensive high school in the El Paso Independent School District. It is located in the Cielo Vista neighborhood on the near east side of El Paso, north of the large shopping center Cielo Vista Mall and south of El Paso International Airport, and...
where he was a three-sport standout in football, track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
and wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
. He earned four letters as a linebacker for the Eastern New Mexico University
Eastern New Mexico University
Eastern New Mexico University , frequently called Eastern, is a state university in Portales, Roosevelt County, New Mexico, USA...
Greyhounds and was later inducted into the ENMU Hall of Honors. Immediately following his playing career, Simon began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater. After one year as an assistant at Borger High School, Simon coached the tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
and linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
positions at the University of Texas at El Paso
University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso is a four-year state university, and is a component institution of the University of Texas System. Its campus is located on the bank of the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas. The school was founded in 1914 as The Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy,...
under head coach Bill Michael
Bill Michael
-References:...
.
In 1982, he became running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
s and placekicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
s coach at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
. The Huskies
Washington Huskies
Washington Huskies is the nickname of the University of Washington's athletic teams. The school is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The athletic program is made up of 9 men's sports and 10 women's sports Washington Huskies is the nickname of the University of Washington's athletic teams. The...
went to nine bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
s over a span of ten seasons. In 1991, the Huskies tied the Miami Hurricanes
1991 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 1991 Miami Hurricanes were the national champions of the 1991 NCAA Division I-A football season, as determined by the AP Poll. 1991 was a split championship year, though, as the Washington Huskies finished #1 in the Coaches' Poll...
for the national championship. In 1997, Simon was inducted into the University of Washington's Hall of Fame. Simon left Washington in 1992 for the offensive coordinator position at New Mexico
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
under head coach Dennis Franchione
Dennis Franchione
Dennis Wayne Franchione , also known as Coach Fran, is an American football coach. He is currently the head football coach at Texas State University, a position he held from 1990 to 1991, when the school was known as Southwest Texas State University, and resumed in 2011...
. The Lobos averaged 413 yards and 30.5 points per game during that span. They ranked 13th in the country in 1992 and improved to 8th the following year.
Simon succeeded Dennis Parker
Dennis Parker
-External links:...
as head coach at North Texas in 1994, becoming only the 10th African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
to lead a Division I-A football squad. In his first season, Simon guided North Texas to the Southland Conference
Southland Conference
The Southland Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the south central United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it participates in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision...
Championship. He was named Southland Conference Coach of the Year, Black Coaches Association National Football Coach of the Year and AFCA Region 4 Coach of the Year. However, the Mean Green football program decline the next years, causing Simon to be fired in 1997.
After coaching at the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
training camp in 1998, Simon began his pro coaching career with the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
. Under his guidance, Baltimore rushed for an average of 1,985 yards per season and defeated the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in Super Bowl XXXV
Super Bowl XXXV
Super Bowl XXXV was played on January 28, 2001 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 2000 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Baltimore Ravens defeated the National Football Conference champion New York...
following the 2000 NFL season
2000 NFL season
The 2000 NFL season was the 81st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants.Week 1 of the season reverted to Labor Day weekend in 2000...
. In 2004, the Ravens’ ground attack produced 2,063 total yards and ranked 9th in the NFL. It was Jamal Lewis
Jamal Lewis
Jamal Lafitte Lewis is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens fifth overall in the 2000 NFL Draft...
's fourth 1,000-yard rushing season under Simon. Baltimore rushed for at least 2,000 yards in three different seasons under Simon, including a team-record 2,674 yards in 2003 when Jamal Lewis was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Associated Press All-Pro and selected to the AFC Pro Bowl squad.