SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSOR FIRST YEAR COACH FOR AS HEAD FOOTBALL SIMMONS PAUL WORDS Katherine West I I PHOTOS Evan S1vean·ngen Flr the fall 2017 season, the football team had a new leader. auJ Simmons took over as head coach for the Bi.sons, succeeding Ronnie Huckeba, who served as head coa<;h for 11 years and was part of the coaching staff for 31 rears. Simmons, although new to the head coach position, had a long hi.story with Harding University. He went to school at Harding and played for the football tean1 under Huckeba. Simmons began his coaching career at Harding Academy in Memphis, Tennessee, but he decided to move his family back to Searcy 11 years ago. ''The decision to come back to Searcy and coach at Harding [was] really driven by my family," Simmons said. For Sin1.mons, the return felt a lot like coming home. Being a student and a player at Harding was an influence on the man he wanted to become. "I have played for coaches who gave me a very clear example of what I didn't want to be, but I've also played for men that have absolutely changed my life as far as an example of how to be a Christian father and a Christian ervant," in1.mons said. Senior running back Colby Webb said that Simmons' transition into becoming head coach was easy because Sin1mons had been an important part of the team for so long. The dynamic of the team was the same as it had always been. ''\Y/e still have the same philosophies," Webb said. "Our slogan is 'Honor God,' and we've had that since Coach [Huckeba was] here." Webb said the practices had become difficult because Simmons was intense, but only because he wanted his players to be the best they could become. "If we're [going to] put in these kinds of hours and we're not having fun, we've got to get out of the business," Sin1.mons said. "I think that this is a fantastic gan,e, but it's too hard for it not to be fun." Junior quarterback Terrence Dingle played for Harding for three years and agreed with Webb on the olidarit:y of the team. "It's pretty much the same program," Dingle said. "It's the same feeling around the locker room. It's just [that] coach Sin1.mons is the head coach now." Sin1mons' first year as the head ball coach ended with another first for the tean1 - making their first appearance in the national semifinals. The teatn, which opened its season with three straight losses, proved to a record-breaking group with Sin1.mons at the helm. Sophomore wide reciever Hunter Cook prepares for the game against Henderson State University (HSU) with his teammates on Aug. 31, 2017, at First Security Stadium. Harding fell to HSU by one touchdown with a final score of 20-28, which contributed to their overall GAC record of 8-3. // Photo by Evan Swearingen Head coach Paul Simmons sits on the sideline at the game against the University of Arkansas at Monticello on Sept. 30, 2017, at First Security Stadium. The 2017-18 school year was Simmons' first year leading the Bisons as head coach. II Photo by Evan Swearingen On Sept. 30, 2017, senior wide reciever Andrew Dather scores a touchdown against the University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) and celebrates with his teammates at First Security Stadium. Junior Terrence Dingle, junior Luke Bowser, junior Tony Becton and junior Bobby Green joined him in the teams victory of 56-46 over the UAM Boll Weevils. II Photo by Evan Swearingen Junior running back Tony Becton breaks a tackle to make a touchdown on Sept. 30, 2017, at First Security Stadium. Harding won the game against the University of Arkansas at Monticello 56-46. II Photo by Evan Swearingen
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc5NA==