James Simmons comes to Howard from Hampton University where he served as the lead assistant coach with the men's basketball program. He played an integral part in the men’s team winning the 2011 MEAC Tournament championship and advancing to the NCAAs.

At Hampton, his duties included overall player development, film breakdown, opponent scouting and assisting with the day-to-day operations of the program.

Prior to Hampton, Simmons served as an assistant coach at Bowie State, where in a six-year span, the Bulldogs won the 2003 CIAA championship and was ranked No. 1 in the country in the 2004-05 season; Bowie State made three NCAA Division II tournaments during Simmons’ tenure. Simmons spent 10 years each with the men's and women's basketball programs at Bowie State, serving as an assistant, associate head, and interim head coach.

Before his career on the collegiate level, Simmons was an assistant boy’s varsity coach for six seasons at Laurel (Md.) High School. He began his coaching career in 1997 as head JV boy’s coach at Laurel.

He played small and power forward for Prince George’s Community College for two years after graduating from Eleanor Roosevelt High School in 1990. From Prince George’s, where he earned JUCO Division II Honorable Mention in 1995, Simmons transferred to Belford University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in education after three years.

Simmons continued to play basketball for the semi-pro Maryland All-Stars in 1996 and played in the Urban Coalition League in 1996 and 1997. He was also Executive-director of Revenue and Personnel for Charm City Basketball, Inc. out of Baltimore, while also playing for such teams as Metro Nighthawks, Prince George’s All-Stars and the Kenner Summer Pro League.

Simmons, a native of Washington, D.C. and a member of the National Educators Association, is single and the father of four, twins Brandi and Brittanee (20), Natece (17) and Jalynn (11).