Lawrence Simmons facts for kids
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 5, 1911 Oklahoma |
| Died | October 9, 1994 (aged 83) Fairview Heights, Illinois |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1936–1937 | Tennessee A&I |
| Position(s) | Fullback |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1938 | Tennessee A&I (backfield) |
| 1939 | Tennessee A&I |
| 1948 | Tennessee A&I (backfield) |
| 1951–1952 | South Carolina State |
| 1953–1954 | Tennessee A&I (assistant) |
| 1955–1960 | East St. Louis Lincoln HS (IL) |
| 1961–1962 | Tennessee A&I |
| Baseball | |
| 1947–1950 | Tennessee A&I |
| 1953–1955 | Tennessee A&I |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 20–18–3 (college football) 43–14 (high school football) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| Football 1 Midwest Athletic Association (1961) |
|
Lawrence E. Simmons (born July 5, 1911 – died October 9, 1994) was an important American football and baseball coach. He was known for leading college and high school teams. Simmons coached at several schools during his career.
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Who Was Lawrence Simmons?
Lawrence E. Simmons was a dedicated coach. He spent many years teaching young athletes. His career covered both college and high school sports. He coached both football and baseball teams.
A Talented Player and Coach
Before becoming a coach, Simmons was a football player. He played as a fullback for Tennessee A&I from 1936 to 1937. After his playing days, he moved into coaching. He started as a backfield coach at Tennessee A&I in 1938.
Coaching College Football
Simmons served as a head football coach at two colleges.
- He coached at Tennessee A&I State College. This school is now known as Tennessee State University. He was head coach there in 1939. He returned for another period from 1961 to 1962.
- He also coached at the Colored Normal Industrial Agricultural and Mechanical College of South Carolina. Today, this is South Carolina State University. He led their team from 1951 to 1952.
Overall, his college football coaching record was 20 wins, 18 losses, and 3 ties. In 1961, his Tennessee A&I team won the Midwest Athletic Association championship.
High School Success
Simmons also had a very successful time coaching high school football. He was the head coach at East St. Louis Lincoln High School in East St. Louis, Illinois. He coached there from 1955 to 1960. During this time, his team had an impressive record. They won 43 games and lost only 14.
Coaching Baseball
Besides football, Lawrence Simmons was also a baseball coach. He had two different periods as the head baseball coach at Tennessee A&I.
- His first time coaching baseball was from 1947 to 1950.
- He returned to coach baseball again from 1953 to 1955.
His Life Beyond the Field
Lawrence Simmons was married to Mildred. In 1968, they celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. Lawrence and Mildred are buried together. Their resting place is at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in Missouri.
