Bob Simon enters his second season on Carmen Maciariello's staff, after being named an assistant coach for the Saints on Apr. 9, 2019. A native of Detroit, Michigan, Simon holds over 25 years of collegiate coaching experience, including more than a decade as a Division I associate head coach.
“Bob is a tireless worker, and I was fortunate to work alongside him at Fairfield,” said Maciariello upon Simon's hiring. “He has a tremendous basketball mind, and I will rely heavily on him to help build our offense similar to the success we enjoyed in our previous time working together in which we were able to maximize tremendous guard play.”
In his first season with the Saints, Simon helped guide the Saints to the program's eighth MAAC Regular Season Championship and sixth MAAC Tournament title. Siena posted a 20-10 overall record including a 15-5 mark in the MAAC, while posting a perfect 14-0 record at the Times Union Center and ending the season on a 10-game winning streak. Simon aided in the development of MAAC Player of the Year Jalen Pickett, and fellow First Team All-MAAC selection Manny Camper. Serving as the team's offensive coordinator, Siena led the MAAC in field goal percentage (.459 – 64th nationally), scoring margin (+4.5), and scoring offense (72.2), and also ranked 67th nationally in three-point field goal percentage (.355).
Simon amassed a wealth of highly successful Division I coaching experience, having served on the staffs at Maine (2017-18), Alabama (2015-17), Providence (2011-15), Fairfield (2006-11), and Toledo (2000-06), in addition to a nine-year stint at Division II Wayne State (1991-00).
Simon helped guide Alabama to back-to-back NIT appearances in his two seasons as associate head coach under former NBA coach Avery Johnson. Simon assisted in recruiting the No. 5 ESPN ranked incoming recruiting class in the nation to Alabama in 2017.
Simon helped head coach Ed Cooley and Providence win the BIG EAST Championship in 2014. The Friars reached back-to-back NCAA Tournaments in 2014 and 2015, and advanced to the NIT Quarterfinals in 2013. During his four seasons in Rhode Island, the final of which he served as associate head coach, Simon was instrumental in securing a pair of top-25 recruiting classes, highlighted by 2016 NBA Draft selections Kris Dunn and Ben Bentil, and Providence’s second-ever 2,000-point, 1,000-rebound standout LaDontae Henton.
Simon first coached in the MAAC under Cooley as the associate head coach at Fairfield, where he served alongside Maciariello on the bench from 2008-11. Simon helped lead the Stags to 92 wins during his tenure, marking the most during a five-year span in program history. Fairfield earned a berth to the CIT in 2010, and achieved a school-record 25 wins, MAAC Regular Season Championship, and NIT Second Round appearance in 2011.
Simon first entered the Division I coaching ranks at Toledo, where he was associate head coach of the Rockets for the final three years of his six-year tenure. Toledo posted three 20-win seasons, and captured a pair of NIT berths (2001, 2004) during his time with the program.
Simon began his collegiate coaching career at Wayne State, which he helped lead to the Division II Final Four in 1993. In his eight seasons with the men’s basketball team, five of which he served as associate head coach, he helped guide the Warriors to four NCAA Tournament appearances and three conference titles. During his final season at the university in 1999-00, Simon shifted over to become the women’s basketball team’s head coach which he led to 13 wins and the program’s second-ever conference tournament berth.
Simon began his coaching career with 10 years in the high school ranks at Thurston High School in Redford, Michigan (1981-87), and Anderson High School in Southgate, Michigan (1987-91).
A 1989 graduate of Eastern Michigan with his bachelor’s degree in manufacturing technology, Simon earned his master’s degree in sports administration from Wayne State in 1997. Simon and his wife, Donna, have a daughter, Bobbie, and a son, Devin.
