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Quote:Sources: Derek Simmons to be named assistant baseball coach at Kent State
By Allen Moff | Staff Writer Published: July 24, 2017 11:06 AM

Sources close to the Kent State baseball program have confirmed that Derek Simmons has agreed to join the staff as an assistant coach. A formal announcement by the university is expected later today.

Simmons spent last season as an assistant coach at Alabama under head coach Greg Goff, who was fired following the completion of the 2017 campaign. Simmons spent the previous four seasons as an assistant coach at Kennesaw State, serving as the team's hitting coach while also directing infielders and recruiting.

Seven of his players batted over .300 in 2016, when the Owls captured the first Atlantic Sun regular season championship in program history. Kennesaw State finished third in the nation with 677 hits in 2014, when the squad won its conference tournament and advanced to the NCAA Super Regional.

Simmons started his collegiate coaching career with a two-year stint at Central Michigan. The Georgia native played collegiately at Division II Montevallo and Georgia State.

Simmons replaces Alex Marconi, a former standout catcher at Kent State who was not retained by head coach Jeff Duncan as an assistant for the Flashes following the season.