COURTNEY SIMMONS | ASSISTANT COACH

Courtney Simmons enters her fifth season as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Troy in 2017-18.  In her first four seasons, Simmons helped the Trojans to a combined 74-53 record and back-to-back Sun belt Conference Tournament titles over the last two seasons.

Troy won its second consecutive Sun Belt Conference Tournament championship in 2016-17 earning a second straight bid to the NCAA Tournament. The team finished with a 22-11 record, the second-most wins in a season in program history. Forward Caitlyn Ramirez was named first team All-Sun Belt Conference and SBC Tournament MVP. For the fifth straight season, the Trojans led the league in scoring and finished top 10 in the nation with 82.5 points per game. Graf’s squad was second in the NCAA with 50.15 rebounds per game including an 86-rebound performance against Arkansas State in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament quarterfinals, the second-most in NCAA history. From Nov. 16-Dec. 4, Troy scored 90-plus points in five straight games for the first time on program history and reached the 100-point plateau four times during the season.

In 2015-16, the Trojans finished 20-13, won the Sun Belt Conference Tournament and qualified for the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in program history. Guard Ashley Beverly Kelley was named first team All-Sun Belt Conference and SBC Tournament MVP. Caitlyn Ramirez took home third team All-Sun Belt honors as well. The Trojans led the conference in scoring for the fourth consecutive season and eclipsed to 100-point plateau six times. The team tied the school record with eight straight wins culminating with a victory in the Sun Belt Tournament championship game.

Troy’s 2014-15 team won 20 games for just the fourth time in program history and made the second postseason appearance in program history. The Trojans posted a 15-5 Sun Belt record, good for a program-best third place finish, then played in the Women’s Basketball Invitational, making a postseason appearance for the first time since 1997.

Simmons has worked primarily with the Troy guards, coaching first team All-Sun Belt selections Joanna Harden (2013-14) and Ashley Beverly Kelley (2014-15). Harden scored a Troy-record 25.1 points per game in 2013-14, finishing first in the Sun Belt and seventh in the NCAA in scoring.  Beverly Kelley averaged 19.8 points per Sun Belt game in 2014-15, leading the conference.  Both scored their 1,000th career point under Simmons’ tutelage.

As a team, the Trojans have led the Sun Belt in scoring and ranked in the NCAA’s top 20 in each of Simmons’ four seasons.

Simmons came to Troy after spending the 2012-13 season as an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech.  In her one season with the Lady Techsters, Simmons worked under legendary college and WNBA player Teresa Weatherspoon.  Simmons worked heavily with Louisiana Tech’s recruiting efforts and guard development.

Prior to her lone season at Louisiana Tech, Simmons spent two very successful seasons at Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Texas.  In addition to serving as assistant coach, Simmons was the recruiting coordinator for Trinity Valley and signed two nationally ranked recruiting classes.

Both teams advanced to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) championship game while Simmons was at Trinity Valley, amassing an overall record of 72-3 over the two seasons.

The 2011-12 Trinity Valley squad, which included NJCAA National Player of the Year Sha’Kayla Caples and Kodak All-American Keuna Flax, won the NJCAA National Championship after defeating current Troy head coach Chanda Rigby’s Pensacola State team in the national semifinals.

Simmons, a Baton Rouge, La., native, began her coaching career in 2008-09 as an assistant coach at UL Lafayette and was named the Ragin’ Cajuns recruiting coordinator in 2009-10.

Her two seasons in Lafayette, La., followed a successful playing career that concluded with two NCAA Tournament appearances at Louisville in 2006-07 and 2007-08.  Simmons played in 30 games for the Cardinals in 2007-08, helping UL to the Big East title game and an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance.

Simmons went to Louisville after one season at Trinity Valley where she helped TVCC to a 30-2 overall record and a sixth place finish in the NJCAA National Tournament.  Simmons began her playing career at Tulane, receiving a medical redshirt in 2003-04 before playing in 27 games as a redshirt freshman in 2004-05.

Simmons received her bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Louisville in 2008.  She is fluent in sign language and volunteered at the 2007 Mini Deaf Olympics.