Todd Simon - Men's Basketball Coach - Bowling Green State University Athletics (2024)

Todd Simon will enter his second season as the head coach of Bowling Green’s men’s basketball program in 2024-25, being hired to the post in March of 2023. Simon joinedthe Falcons after spending seven seasons at Southern Utah as the head coach of the Thunderbirds.

In his first season with the Falcons, Coach Simon orchestrated one of the quickest turnarounds in program history. In his first season, the Falcons tallied 20 wins for just the 10th time in the program's MAC era, becoming one of 10 teams in the nation to go from 20 losses in 2022-23 to 20 wins in 2023-24. The season saw Bowling Green advance to the MAC Semifinals and make an appearance in the CIT. Coach Simon etched his name in history as just the second coach to win 20+ games in his first season at the helmof the Falcons and tied for the most regular season wins by a first-year head coach in program history. Additionally, Marcus Hill was named All-MAC First Team and Rashaun Agee earned All-MAC Second Team. Hill earned four MAC Player of the Week recognitions and Agee was awarded once.

Under Simon’s leadership, Southern Utah posteda 22-12 season and Western Athletic Conference Championship game appearance in 2022-23 during the program’s first season in the WAC after previously competing in the Big Sky Conference. In addition to the team’s success, Tevian Jones was named first-team All-WAC and Dee Barnes was named the WAC’s Sixth Man of the Year at the season’s conclusion.

In 2021-22, Simon led Southern Utah to 23 wins, achieving the second most victories in a single season in SUU’s Division I history. The Thunderbirds compiled a record of 20-10 throughout the regular season, including a mark of 14-6 in conference play to earn the number two overall seed in the Big Sky Conference Tournament and a first round bye for the second consecutive year. Following the Big Sky Tournament, Simon’s Thunderbirds accepted an invitation to participate in the inaugural Basketball Classic, where they were matched up with MAC opponent Kent State in the first round. Southern Utah claimed victory over Kent State, advancing to the second round where they defeated Conference-USA opponent UTEP on the road. SUU then faced West Coast Conference foe Portland in the quarterfinals, picking up their third consecutive postseason victory to reach the semifinal round.

In addition to the postseason success of the 2021-22 campaign, Simon and the Thunderbirds maintained a record of 13-3 at home in the America First Event Center. Southern Utah also finished the season ranked second overall in the Big Sky Conference in scoring (77.7 ppg) and first in rebounding (32.9 rpg). The 2021-22 season also saw three different Thunderbirds earn All-Big Sky recognition, as John Knight III became the second player in program history to earn First Team All-Big Sky honors. Jones and Maizen Fausett were each named to the all-conference third team.

During the 2020-21 season Simon led the Thunderbirds to their first ever Big Sky Championship, as they were named Big Sky Conference regular season champions after finishing conference play with a record of 12-2. Along with claiming the regular season championship, Simon navigated his team to the No. 1 overall seed in the Big Sky Conference Tournament, and the first BYE to the quarterfinals that the program had ever received.

Simon's Thunderbirds set a high bar that season finishing the regular season with a .864 winning percentage, which was the best in the program's Division I history. They also finished their Big Sky Conference schedule with a .857 winning percentage, shattering the previous high of .450. Along with the overall accolades, the Thunderbirds finished the season 14-0 at home. It was only the second time in the program's Division I history that they finished the regular season flawless at home and marked the most victories at home in a single season in the program's DI tenure.

The 2020-21 edition of the Thunderbirds also finished the regular season with the best scoring offense in the Big Sky, averaging 84.2 points per game. That number was good enough for the third highest mark in the NCAA as well. Four Thunderbirds were named to the Big Sky All-Conference team, the most since they joined the conference. Jones became the first Thunderbird to be named to the all-conference first team after finishing the season as the fourth-highest scorer in the Big Sky. Jones was also named to the NABC All-District first team for District 6. John Knight III and Maizen Fausett were both named to the All-Big Sky Conference second team and Dre Marin was named an honorable mention.

At the conclusion of the season, Simon was named Big Sky Coach of the Year, NABC District 6 Coach of the Year, the winner of the 2021 Jim Phelan Award, and a finalist for the Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award and the Hugh Durham Award. Since the beginning of the 2020-21 season, Simon led Southern Utah to an overall record 65-28, a mark of 38-14 in the Big Sky Conference, and a record of 40-5 on their home court.

Southern Utah ended the 2019-20 season with a 17-15 overall record, marking the first time the program had finished above .500 since the 2006-07 season. SUU’s winning percentage of .531 was the third highest the program had experienced since the year 2000. The Thunderbirds finished the season ranked 161st in the KenPom Rankings, which was a jump up of 112 spots from the previous year and was the highest ranking the program had reached in the KenPom Era (2001). Defensive efficiency was the key for the Thunderbirds, as they ranked first in the Big Sky in defensive FG percentage, defensive rebounding percentage, rebounding margin and blocked shots. They also ranked second in three-point field goal percentage defense. In just the second game of the 2019-2020 campaign, the T-Birds pulled a stunning upset of Nebraska in double overtime, 79-78. It was the program’s first victory over a Big Ten opponent, and their first road victory against a Power Five opponent since 1996. SUU became just the second-ever Big Sky team to win on the road against an opponent from the conference. They also ended a 20-year drought of losses against the Montana Grizzlies, in a thrilling 85-80 victory in Missoula.

Following the 2019-20 regular season, Cameron Oluyitan was honored by the Big Sky for the second-consecutive season as a member of the Big Sky All-Conference team. The fans in Cedar City also started taking notice more than ever before though the 2019-20 campaign, as the program set new records for all-time revenue, all-time highest average game revenue and set records for number of students in the student section on three separate occasions.

Simon’s third season with the program was one for the record books, and one where the rebuild started to take foot. The Thunderbirds qualified for postseason play for the first time since 2001 and won the first postseason game in the program’s Division I history in the first round of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT). The T-Birds defeated the Drake Bulldogs, who were co-regular season champions of the Missouri Valley Conference.

The 2018-19 season provided several milestones. SUU finished .500 for the first time since the 2006-07 season with a mark of 17-17. The T-Birds won nine Big Sky Conference games, which was the most the program had earned since joining the league. They also secured back-to-back winning non-conference records. Along with those accolades, Cameron Oluyitan won Big Sky Newcomer of the Year, and the T-Birds swept rival Weber State.SUU also found plenty of success in the Big Sky Tournament in Simon’s third season, knocking off Idaho State and Northern Colorado to make the Big Sky semifinals for the second-consecutive season.

Prior to arriving at Southern Utah, Simon was named interim head coach of the UNLV men's basketball program in January 2016 and immediately led them to three consecutive victories. During Simon's 17 games, the Runnin' Rebels ranked as the number one team in the nation in adjusted tempo, scoring more than 100 points in four games. UNLV finished with a 9-8 record, despite playing with as few as five scholarship players.

Prior to being named interim head coach, Simon was in his third year as associate head coach with UNLV and had a critical role in assembling UNLV's roster, which Rivals.com ranked its 2014 recruiting class No. 5 in the nation, while the 2015 class was ranked No. 11.

Prior to his tenure as a Runnin' Rebel, Simon served Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nevada for seven years in both head and assistant coaching roles. As head coach at Findlay Prep in 2012-2013, he led the team to a 35-1 record, including eight wins over top-25 ranked teams.The 35 victories are the most wins in school history. During Simon's tenure at Findlay Prep, they accumulated an overall record of 192-9.

During his career Simon has helped develop and coach several players that have become top NBA draft picks, including Anthony Bennett, who was selected as the top overall pick in 2013, Rashad Vaughn, who was picked No. 17 in 2015, and Avery Bradley. Other NBA player's Simon has coached in his career include Christian Wood, Jorge Gutierrez, Cory Joseph, DeAndre Liggins, Nick Johnson and Tristan Thompson.

A native of Fowler, Mich., Simon earned his bachelor's degree from Central Michigan with a double major in sport studies and management information systems in 2003. He earned his master's degree from UNLV in sport education leadership in 2010.

Todd and his wife, Kati, have three sons, Rece, Raylan, Ryder and one daughter, Sophia.