University of North Carolina at Charlotte Men's Baseball

Working primarily with Charlotte's catchers, Simmons has helped produce one of the most prolific defensive catchers the team has ever had in Kaden Hopson. Hopson calls all the pitches during the game and helped CLT set program records in 2023 for the best fielding percentage (.979), most putouts (1,678), and fewest passed balls (2). Hopson recorded the most putouts any single player has had in one season with 592 in 2023 and posted a .9968 fielding percentage for the seventh-best individual FLD% in a single season in program history. Under Simmons' guidance in his two years at Charlotte, Hopson has the second-best career fielding percentage (.996) and has already worked his way into the team's top 10 lists for most career chances and putouts.   In 2020, Simmons assisted in bringing modern technology to the Niners with the additions of P3 out of St. Louis, Rapsodo and Blast Motion. Simmons was a featured speaker at the 2020 ABCA Convention demonstrating how the 49ers use Rapsodo and Blast Motion hitting in today's tech world. The 49ers used those new forms of technology, including the implementation of high speed cameras, to improve in all facets both on and off the field. Simmons also became Driveline Hitting Certified in 2020.     From 2017-2019, Simmons had served as the Volunteer Assistant and Catching Coordinator with the 49ers. In 2018, catcher Harris Yett was named a semifinalist for the prestigious Johnny Bench award for the nation's top catchers and again in 2019. Yett went on to be drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 32nd round of the 2019 MLB Draft. Along with Yett, Simmons has helped six Niners go onto to play at the next level.