St. John's Fisher College Women's Golf

One of the most successful coaches in Division III history, Bob Simms has elevated the St. John Fisher men’s and women’s golf programs to national heights since his appointment in 2000. Over the last two decades, Simms, who was elected as the chair of the Golf Coaches Association of America Diversity Initiative in 2021 and serves as a Director At-Large for the GCAA National Advisory Board, has piloted the men’s golf program to an astounding 17 Empire 8 Championships including a span of nine consecutive crowns from 2011-19.  Additionally, Simms, who recently served as the chair of the Division III Men's Golf Committee, and the Cardinals have reached the NCAA Division III Championship 13 times where Fisher has finished inside the top 10 five times in all including a third-place showing in 2008.  That year, Simms mentored Scott Harris, Jr. who would go on to be named the Jack Nicklaus Award winner as the top golfer in Division III after capturing the program’s first-ever individual national championship. A nine-time Empire 8 Coach of the Year selection, Simms has a history of recruiting and developing some of the top talent in the country.  To date, Simms has coached 18 student-athletes who have received 29 All-America honors.  Furthermore, he has helped guide 14 Empire 8 Player of the Year selections and nine Rookie of the Year winners.   A six-time Mid-Atlantic Regional Coach of the Year over his career, Simms, who was named the National Coach of the Year in 2008, had the Cardinals back in the national conversation during the 2021-22 season as Fisher stormed out to a 26-stroke win in the Empire 8 Championship to earn a spot in the NCAA Championship.  The women’s team has also seen a resurgence under Simms’ tutelage as Fisher has continually lowered its stroke average in one of the toughest conferences in the region – the Northeast Women’s Golf Conference. Simms has guided the men's team to 71 tournament wins and the women's team to three tournament victories prior to the start of the 2022-23 season.  Under his guidance Fisher has finished the season nationally-ranked in the Top 10 five times and has been the top team in the Mid-Atlantic Region seven times. Simms, who coached the Cardinals’ baseball program from 1988-2000, holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Accounting from St. John Fisher. 6/9/22  

Velasco began his coaching career at St. John Fisher College in the fall of 2010. Nick joined the staff as an assistant coach to help with coaching and recruiting. Velasco is very familiar with the Fisher golf program. He played four years for Fisher, Nick led the Cardinals to Empire 8 Conference titles in all four seasons. Velasco earned First Team All-Conference accolades as a sophomore, junior, and senior. He was also honored by the Empire 8 Conference his senior year as Fishers Sportsman of the Year.  For his career, Velascos scores sit among the best in Fisher history. He shot a 69 in the 2007 Empire 8 Championship, tied for the sixth-lowest score for 18 holes. And his score of 143 in the 2007 Empire 8 Championships is still among the lowest for 36 holes.  Velasco graduated from Fisher in 2008 with a B.S. in International Studies and Management, with a concentration in Marketing. He also minored in Spanish. Nick is currently employed at Harris RF Communications as part of their sales team.  Nick Velasco began his coaching career at St. John Fisher College in the fall of 2010. Nick joined the staff as an assistant coach to help with coaching and recruiting.