The Duke baseball coaching staff added another member on Wednesday when the team announced Derek Simmons as an assistant coach.
Simmons, who will coach baserunning and the infield, previously spent five years with the Indiana Hoosiers. He’ll also work as the team recruiting coordinator.
“Derek arrives with an outstanding reputation as a national recruiter,” head coach Chris Pollard said in a release from the team. “He also has deep ties with USA Baseball and has been a catalyst in the recent success of the 15u national team. I have zero doubt that he will have a major impact on the continued success of the Duke Baseball program.”
Simmons, for his part, sounded just as excited to work with Pollard.
“The sustained excellence and success Chris Pollard and his staff have created at Duke is what undoubtedly brought my family and I to Durham,” Simmons said. “Coach Pollard is a man of the highest integrity with great core values and beliefs who has built this program on personal relationships, recruiting, and player development.”
We are excited to announce the addition of Derek Simmons to our staff!
Welcome to the Duke Baseball Family, @CoachSimmons4! pic.twitter.com/2pGGmjLrLe
— Duke Baseball (@DukeBASE) July 24, 2024
Simmons has also worked at Alabama, Kent State, Kennesaw State, and Central Michigan. He played for the University of Montevallo.
The Blue Devils ended the 2024 season with a 40-20 record. They lost eight of their last 15 regular-season games to slide out of contention for a top-16 seed, but a torrid run through the ACC Tournament gave them some momentum. They swept their way through the bracket in four games, outscoring their opponents 43-15 en route to the title.