Duane Simpkins

Last updated

Duane Simpkins
Current position
Title Head coach
Team American
Conference Patriot League
Record38–29 (.567)
Biographical details
Born (1974-04-09) April 9, 1974 (age 51)
Playing career
1992–1996 Maryland
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1999–2000 Bishop O'Connell HS (assistant)
2005–2007 Sidwell Friends School
2007–2011 St. Albans School
2012–2015 UNC Greensboro (assistant)
2015–2023 George Mason (assistant)
2023–present American
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
2011–2012 Towson (coordinator of basketball operations)
Head coaching record
Overall38–29 (.567)
Tournaments0–1 (NCAA)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Patriot League regular season (2025)
Patriot League tournament (2025)

Duane Simpkins (born April 9, 1974) is an American college basketball coach who serves as the head coach of the American Eagles men's basketball team. [1]

Contents

Playing career

Simpkins played high school basketball at DeMatha Catholic High School under Hall of Fame head coach Morgan Wootten and was a McDonald's High School All-American selection in 1992. [1] He played his college basketball at Maryland under Gary Williams where he was a three-year starter and part of a trio of NCAA tournament appearances with the Terrapins. [2]

Simpkins embarked on a professional career from 1997 to 2003, playing the USBL and ABA, as well as in various teams abroad including Olimpia Milano in Italy during the 2002–2003 season and Shandong in China in 2003. [1] [3]

Coaching career

In between his playing career, Simpkins served as an assistant coach at Bishop O'Connell High School from 1999 to 2000. After his playing career, Simpkins was hired as the head boys' basketball coach at Sidwell Friends School in 2005, and served there before becoming the head coach of the boys basketball team at St. Albans School in 2007.

His first coaching opportunity in the college ranks came with Towson, where he was hired as the coordinator of basketball operations under Pat Skerry in 2011. [4] After a single season with the Tigers, Simpkins became an assistant coach at UNC Greensboro where he worked under Wes Miller from 2012 to 2015. [5] He'd return closer to the DMV area and join the staff at George Mason where he'd serve under both Dave Paulsen and Kim English from 2015 until 2023. [6]

On April 1, 2023, Simpkins was hired to be the next head coach for the American Eagles. [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]

Head coaching record

College

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
American Eagles (Patriot League)(2023–present)
2023–24 American 16–1610–8T–2nd
2024–25 American 22–1313–5T–1st NCAA Division I First Four
American Eagles:38–29 (.567)23–13 (.639)
Total:38–29 (.567)

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Duane Simpkins - Head Coach - Staff Directory". American University.
  2. "Duane Simpkins College Stats". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com.
  3. "Duane Simpkins International Stats | Basketball-Reference.com".
  4. "Duane Simpkins Joins Tigers' Basketball Staff". Towson University Athletics. June 6, 2011.
  5. "Duane Simpkins - Assistant Coach (Recruiting Coordinator) - Men's Basketball Coaches". UNC Greensboro.
  6. "Duane Simpkins - Men's Basketball Coach". George Mason University Athletics. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  7. "Duane Simpkins Selected as 18th Head Coach of American University Men's Basketball" (Press release). American Eagles. April 1, 2023. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  8. "American U hires Duane Simpkins as basketball coach". AP News. April 2, 2023. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  9. Hill, Glynn. "Duane Simpkins named men's basketball coach at American University". Washington Post. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  10. Thamel, Pete (April 2023). "American names George Mason asst. Duane Simpkins as new coach". ESPN. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  11. "American U hires Duane Simpkins as basketball coach". The Valdosta Daliy Times. Retrieved April 2, 2023.