A former Purdue offensive analyst and interim coordinator from Ryan Walters' staff is returning to West Lafayette to work with Barry Odom.
After a year away from college football, Jason Simmons has decided to return to Purdue. The program announced that the well-known former Indiana high school football coach is coming back to West Lafayette to become the assistant general manager on Barry Odom's staff.
Simmons was a member of Purdue's staff during the 2024 season, working as an offensive analyst under then-head coach Ryan Walters. Early in the season, Walters fired offensive coordinator Graham Herrell, andWhen Odom was named the head coach of the program in December 2024, Simmons was retained to be the director of high school relations.
However, he left that position before the start of the 2025 campaign and was named the dean of students at Noblesville High School. Before arriving at Purdue for the 2024 season, Simmons spent the 2023 campaign at Miami , his alma mater, working as the running backs coach. Purdue Boilermakers head coach Barry Odom looks on. | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images Perhaps the most important quality that Simmons brings to Purdue is his familiarity with high school football in Indiana.
Having those relationships with other coaches and administrators across the state certainly doesn't hurt when it comes to in-state recruiting, even if Simmons isn't the one making the pitch. Simmons was a head coach at the high school level in Indiana for nine seasons before jumping into the college game. He had stops at Hamilton Heights , Noblesville and Ben Davis before taking a job at Miami. His coaching record in the high school ranks is 57-47.
Although it was only one year, Simmons also has familiarity with Purdue. Having someone on staff who has knowledge about the program and the university is an added benefit, as well. Purdue is hoping to take a big step forward in the 2026 season after going winless in Big Ten play in back-to-back years. The Boilers are just 3-21 in the past two years and have not won a conference game since the 2023 season finale against Indiana.
The Boilermakers open the 2026 campaign on Saturday, Sept. 5, at Ross-Ade Stadium against Indiana State. Get top Boilermakers stories, expert analysis, and can't-miss moments straight to your inbox for free by signing up for theDustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football.
He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Barry George denies raping a teenage girl nearly four decades ago.The news text reveals the details of Barry George's legal status after his wrongful conviction for Jill Dando's murder. It further highlights new charges and investigations into the case.
Read more »
Isaiah Hill Reveals Biggest Reasons Behind Commitment to PurduePike High School (Ind.) star Isaiah Hill became the highest-rated recruit to commit to play college basketball at Purdue last week.
Read more »
Purdue Offers 4-Star Wing in 2028 Recruiting ClassThe Purdue coaching staff has extended another offer to a talented prospect in the 2028 recruiting class, this time a four-star wing from Illinois.
Read more »
2024 National Championship Game Rematch Added to Purdue's 2026-27 Exhibition SlatePurdue will play UConn in a rematch of the 2024 National Championship Game to prepare for the 2026-27 college basketball season.
Read more »