WEST LAFAYETTE − Two years ago, Jason Simmons was coaching high school football.
On Saturday, he’ll call the plays for Purdue football at Wisconsin.
Simmons, a longtime Indianapolis area high school coach who was hired as an offensive analyst for the Boilermakers in March, has been appointed the role of interim offensive coordinator, coach Ryan Walters announced Monday afternoon.
Insider: With Purdue offense undermining other progress, Ryan Walters had to act
The decision comes after Purdue made the decision to fire Graham Harrell following a 28-10 loss to Nebraska on Saturday.
Simmons has one season of college coaching experience, leading the running backs at Miami (Ohio) in 2023.
Prior to that, Simmons was the head coach at Ben Davis where the Giants won three straight regional championships from 2019-21.
Simmons’ high school coaching career includes stints at Hamilton Heights and Noblesville as well.
In nine seasons as a high school head coach in Indiana, Simmons compiled a record of 57-47.
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Jason Simmons will call Purdue football offense plays as interim OC
