Guardian Caps, search their website for more information on this great addition to any program.

guardiansports.com/

Welcome to the Never Stop Getting Better Podcast, where we dive deep into personal and professional growth strategies to help you reach your fullest potential. In each episode, host John Perry explores topics ranging from leadership and productivity to mindset and self-improvement, featuring insightful interviews with experts and thought leaders.

But we're not just here to share knowledge; we want to engage with our listeners too! Your feedback, comments, and shares are invaluable in helping us grow and improve. So, if you enjoy the podcast, please take a moment to like, share, and comment on your favorite episodes. And if you have any suggestions, questions, or feedback, don't hesitate to email John Perry at [email protected].

Join us on this journey of continuous improvement, and let's strive to never stop getting better together!"

Paul Simmons

AT HARDING

In 2017, Paul Simmons became Harding's 13th head football coach in program history and the sixth since the university restarted football in 1959.

In Simmons' six seasons ...

He led the Bisons to the 2023 NCAA Division II National Championship, Harding's first national championship in an NCAA sport, with a 38-7 victory over Colorado School of Mines.

He was the 2023 AFCA National Coach of the Year, 2023 Don Hansen Football National Coach of the Year, 2023 D2Football.com National Coach of the Year, 2023 Arkansas-Democrat Gazette Sportsperson of the Year and 2023 Great American Conference Coach of the Year.

He has a 65-13 overall record, becoming Harding's fastest head coach to 50 career wins ... has an .864 winning percentage in conference games and .825 winning percentage on the road ... has won nine or more games every season.

Harding has won the 2021 and 2023 Great American Conference championships and has never finished lower than second.

Harding has finished the season ranked in the AFCA Top 25 every season, topping out at No. 1 in 2023.

Harding has reached the NCAA Division II Playoffs five times, compiling an 8-4 record and winning the 2023 national championship, reaching the national semifinals in 2017 and reaching the Super Region 3 semifinals in 2021 ... no other active coach in the GAC has more than one NCAA II Playoff win.

Harding has had 77 All-GAC honorees and 31 All-America citations.

The Bisons have had 126 Academic All-GAC recipients and eight Academic All-Americans.

Simmons spent the previous 11 seasons as an assistant coach at Harding, joining the staff in 2006. He became Harding’s assistant head coach in 2008 and the defensive coordinator in 2010.

Simmons has coached in 18 Harding postseason games, including the 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2023 NCAA Division II Playoffs and the 2013 Live United Texarkana Bowl.

PLAYING CAREER

Simmons was a three-time All-America honoree at Harding University as a linebacker and defensive end. He compiled 415 career tackles (second all-time at HU) and 18.0 sacks (fourth all-time at HU) and was inducted into the Harding Athletics Hall of Fame in 1999. Simmons is the only Harding football player ever to earn first team All-America honors three times.

EDUCATION

Simmons earned his bachelor’s degree in social science from Harding University in 1995.

FAMILY

A native of Ashdown, Arkansas, he is married to the former Kimberly Hatcher of Jackson, Tennessee. The couple have three children.