Sylvester “Jimsie” Simmons begins his first season on the Triton College women’s basketball coaching staff after volunteering on a part-time basis last season. He brings 26 years of experience beginning as a youth coach in the Waukegan Park District. 

In 2000, Simmons received his first high school job as a varsity assistant for the boys at Waukegan High School (IL). The following season Simmons returned to his Jr. High School to coach and help repair their basketball programs. After having success coaching both girls and boys at the middle school level, Simmons returned to the high school ranks as a freshman coach at Waukegan High school. In those three years he helped Waukegan varsity win its highest win total in the last 8 years going 20-10 and reaching the regional championship game. 

After three years Simmons stepped away from Waukegan and took two years off to watch his two daughters play basketball at Zion-Benton High School where he met head coach Tonya Johnson who asked him to join her coaching staff as her lead assistant. He served six years as her assistant and eventually becoming the head coach for 1 year during the covid season. 

In 2015, Simmons’ club team (The Future) merged with coach Drew Winston (then of St Joe’s) (Chicago Xtreme) to form the “Future Xtreme” or “FX” where they experienced tons of success by winning several National Championships.

After taking a year off from high school basketball, Simmons then coached for Waukegan High School girls’ basketball where he helped lead them to their first double digit win season since the 2008.