Idaho State Softball announces Harold Simmons as 10th Head Coach in program history

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – After a nationwide search for former head coach Andrew Rich’s replacement at Idaho State University, the school has announced Harold Simmons as the Softball program’s 10th-ever head coach.

Simmons spent seven years at Northern Colorado University, where he served multiple roles. He was an assistant coach, coordinating defensive development, offense, and hitting operations. He was also the recruiting coordinator at the University. 

Athletic Director Pauline Thiros said in a press release today, in part, “This was an exhaustive search process, but I was interested in Coach Simmons very early on.” She continued, “The more I learned about him, the more convinced I became that he was the right coach to lead Idaho State Softball.”

Thiros was also impressed with Simmons’ interactions with the team during his in-person interview, saying, “his philosophy is simple: love, care for, and serve student-athletes. He aligns perfectly with who we are at Idaho State and our commitment to putting student-athletes first.”

While at Northern Colorado, Simmons coached 36 All-Conference players and was with the team for their first-ever Big Sky tournament title in 2023 and when they repeated the next season in 2024.