Previously approved and meeting the Barton Community College Board of Trustees today, Rafael Simmons officially takes over as the new Head Coach of the men's soccer program.
"Coach Simmons brings to Barton a wealth of coaching experiences in the soccer world, including multiple levels of club soccer coaching and management," said Barton Athletic Director Trevor Rolfs. Notable in Coach Simmons' collegiate coaching experiences saw him build upon Neosho County Community College soccer into an annual KJCCC championship contender. We are excited to have Rafael and his family joining the Cougar Nation as he embodies strong personal character and a work ethic that will be instrumental in guiding Barton Men's Soccer into the future!"
Simmons, his wife Sarah, and two sets of twins, Mikael and Mylah (age 5) and younger duo Annika and Avery (age 3), come to Great Bend from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Serving the past two years at the Tulsa Soccer Club as the Director of the Elite Clubs National League Regional League, Simmons coached two elite teams including one of the assistant coaches for the semi-pro women's team (Tulsa SC) of the Women's Premier Soccer League, capturing the 2021 WPSL Red River Conference North title with four players drafted into the NWSL (National Women's Soccer League).
A familiar face to the KJCCC and coaching against the Cougars, Simmons was the head coach at Neosho County Community College from 2015 through the 2019 season. Simmons led the Panthers to the 2017 Jayhawk East title and a No. 5 national ranking, while taking over the women's program in 2016 struggling to field players, revitalizing the program including leading the Lady Panthers to the program's first ever national ranking in just his third season. While at Neosho County, Simmons guided 28 players to All-Conference selections, 13 players to All-Region honors, and 11 players received Scholar All-American honors.
"I want to thank Dr. Heilman, the Board of Trustees, and Trevor Rolfs for this excellent opportunity!" said Simmons. "I'm excited about being a part of the Barton family and look forward to working with such a talented group of student-athletes."
The Cougars are projected to return over ten players from the 2021 squad, most notable first team All-KJCCC West and All-Region selection Victor Lucca, who led the team in most offensive categories, and All-KJCCC West Honorable Mention section Renato Tapia.
Simmons becomes the seventh coach in Barton's twenty-one seasons, replacing the resignation of Jordan Rideout who guided the Cougars for the past three seasons.