James Simmons has a new title. Officially, Simmons is Lafayette Parish Schools Director of Student Activities, Athletics, Health and Physical Education, Drivers Education and Title IX.

Many know him as the athletic director for parish schools, one who can be seen at just about any extracurricular event to be held during the school year. More still know him simply as, "Coach."

On Wednesday, Simmons will add "Hall of Fame member" to his extensive list.

The Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame will induct Simmons and four others into the hall in 6:30 p.m. ceremonies on Wednesday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on opening day of the annual LHSAA Convention.

"I was kind of shocked," said Simmons, who was nominated by other athletic directors in the state and anticipates a big evening.

"My wife (Evelyn) will be there, along with my daughter (Jamie), brother, uncles and a lot of my former athletes. I’m a member of the Kiwanis Club, and I think they’ll have a table. The UL track and field officials will be there.

"It will be a pretty good group. That will make me feel good."

Simmons’ career has come full circle, from the young coach who needed a friend’s help to get a foot in the door to someone with over two decades of service in parish administration. Through it all, young students have remained his focus.

Getting started

Simmons attended Jones Henderson High School in New Iberia in the days before integration, then earned a degree at Southern University.

He worked for a year in East Baton Rouge Parish schools, did a one-year active duty hitch in the Army, then returned to his Acadiana roots to find a coaching position near home.

"I applied here (Lafayette Schools), and was told that each high school already had a Black coach," Simmons said. "I ran into (then-Northside principal) Ernest Nabors, who had gone to school with my dad, and he took me to Crowley to apply with Acadia Parish.

"Dr. James Griffin was the Crowley High principal. I didn’t have anything with me, but he took me on Ernest Nabors’ word."

Simmons stayed at Crowley High for

13 years. His 1976 track team won seven meets as a small Class 4A program, with athletes like Tommy Swacker and Chad Lilly leading the way.

"We were state runner-up to Catholic High (Baton Rouge) in 1981 because we didn’t have a 4×400 relay," Simmons said. "We had a good program."

The lure of new challenges led Simmons to Acadiana High in 1984, just in time to help coach the Rams to a 10-0 regular season.

"I got there in August and hit the ground running," said Simmons, who coached the secondary. "After my second year, they offered me the head coaching position in track."

Ryan Langlinais and Bubba Lagasse helped make that initial squad a success, but Simmons was just getting started.

"My vision was that in four years we’d win a championship, and we were a year ahead," said Simmons, whose 1988 Rams won the district title in Franklin. "That was probably the most exciting time I’ve ever had.

"Franklin and Lafayette High were the favorites, but we were good all-around. We could score in every event."

Kevin Castille’s two points in the 3200 meters were key as AHS placed third in the concluding 4×400 to win by two.

"My philosophy was to get as many kids as I could out for track," Simmons said. "Most were just in one event, so they could concentrate and be fresh for that event. We had 90 kids on the team."

The 1989 Rams tumbled out of contention at the state meet when tripped by Capitol High in the 4×400, while the 1990 team went unbeaten until the state meet.

Coaching philosophy

"You have to meet kids halfway," Simmons said. "You have to be able to change with them, but you don’t ever get away from discipline. I’d give them Mardi Gras off, and they liked that. But I also knew they’d walk 4 or 5 miles along the parade route, so they were getting

exercise.

"You’ve got to be excited about what you’re doing. You’ve got to beat the bushes for kids. Saturdays and Sundays, I was always there if kids wanted to work out. When they see how excited you are, that makes it easy for the kids. It’s the little things you do, not the big ones."

Simmons uses the same enthusiasm to deal with young coaches in the system today.

"When I have an in-service for elementary teachers, I get them pumped up and everybody leaves happy," Simmons said. "I tell them to leave their ego at the door."

Just as Simmons arrived at Acadiana at the beginning of a school year, he left just before school in 1990 when the parish A.D. position was offered.

"It was the week before school, and I didn’t tell the kids (football and track athletes) goodbye," he said. "That was probably one of the most hurtful things I’ve had to do.

"In fact, I told (then-AHS principal Judy Cox) to hold my spot, because I wasn’t sure this would work out. All of a sudden, now it’s 21 years in this job. And it’s funny. The same office I was in when they told me they had all the Black coaches they needed is the one I’ve been in all this time."

Parish-wide success

"When I got this job, it was a motivational thing for me for us to try to be better than what we were," Simmons said. "I wanted to put the right people in the right place, improve the junior highs, give them all the support they needed.

"When you do that, with athletics it’s just a matter of time."

Since Simmons took over, parish schools have won state titles in football (Carencro 1992; Acadiana, 2006, 2010), boys basketball (Northside, Lafayette), soccer, bowling, wrestling, tennis and swimming, as well as indoor and outdoor track and field.

Simmons, a self-taught standout in high school track and field in his youth, remains a high-profile official in that sport who has worked some of the biggest meets in the country.

When duties have been added on to his post over the years, his reaction has been typical.

"I never shied away from work," he said. "The biggest challenge was when I took over music, but my mother was a big arts person. We always had a piano and other instruments in the house, and I sang in the church choir. I’m not just a sports guy.

"Our bands are as good as any in the state, and we’re getting there with chorus."

A Hall of Fame legacy secure, Simmons said he will decide in May about retirement. Until then, he’ll keep pushing athletes and coaches to succeed.