Mercyhurst University Men's Tennis

Simon begins his fifth season as the head coach of both the men's and women's tennis teams at Mercyhurst University. In his first four seasons at the helm of both tennis programs, Simon has guided the men to a 29-40 overall record and the women to a 53-22  overall mark. The men had a ten-match improvement last season, going from 7-9 a year ago to 15-7. Since winning just one match in Simon's first season, the men have won six, seven, and 15 in successive years and reached the NCAA playoffs in 2015. Simon led the Lakers to the Atlantic Region Championship and a trip to the Sweet 16 - the program's first trip that far in twenty years. Meanwhile, the women finished 13-5 overall last season and advanced to the NCAA Atlantic Regional Tournament for the second straight year and for the third time in the last five.  Simon was named the Wilson/ITA Atlantic Region Coach of the Year in 2013-14 for his efforts on the women's side. Since Simon took over the reins, both programs have been recognized as ITA All-Academic Teams in each of his four seasons. Last season, the men's tennis team earned the Top Team GPA Award in the PSAC for the fourth straight year. A 1974 graduate of Edinboro University, Simon was captain of a tennis team that captured a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference title and multiple District 18 NAIA Championships. In 1998, he was honored by Edinboro University with his induction into the university's Athletic Hall of Fame. He is also a member of Edinboro's All-Time Men's Tennis Team. After his run of building and running tennis clubs throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana, Simon returned to his hometown of Erie and immediately established a girl's tennis program at Fairview High School in 1980. During his 33 years as the coach at Fairview, he finished with multiple undefeated seasons and coached numerous district championships and All-State players. But, Simon's proudest accomplishment was the fact the he instituted a no-cut policy during his tenure at Fairview and he coached more than 500 girls over 33 years. Each year, Simon was recognized by the USTA as a no-cut coach, and each year he points out that he had a no-cut policy long before the USTA even had a program. He accomplished all of this while he and his brother ran a successful family business, started years ago by his father. Simon has been a member of the USPTA since 1974 and he received the Middle States Coach of the Year award in 2007. Most recently, he received the Barbara F. Junker Community Service Award in 2011 as well as the 2014-15 USTA Alleghany Mountain Region College Coach of the Year. Simon and his wife Lois reside in Fairview and have two sons, Nicholas, a Mercyhurst graduate, and Christopher.