Duane Simpkins
{{Short description|American basketball coach (born 1974)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Duane Simpkins
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| current_title = Head coach
| current_team = American
| current_conference = Patriot League
| current_record = {{winpct|38|29|record=y}}
| contract =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1974|4|9}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| alma_mater =
| player_years1 = 1992–1996
| player_team1 = Maryland
| coach_years1 = 1999–2000
| coach_team1 = Bishop O'Connell HS (assistant)
| coach_years2 = 2005–2007
| coach_team2 = Sidwell Friends School
| coach_years3 = 2007–2011
| coach_team3 = St. Albans School
| admin_years1 = 2011–2012
| admin_team1 = Towson (coordinator of basketball operations)
| coach_years4 = 2012–2015
| coach_team4 = UNC Greensboro (assistant)
| coach_years5 = 2015–2023
| coach_team5 = George Mason (assistant)
| coach_years6 = 2023–present
| coach_team6 = American
| overall_record = {{winpct|38|29|record=y}}
| bowl_record =
| tournament_record = 0–1 (NCAA)
| coaching_records =
| championships = Patriot League regular season (2025)
Patriot League tournament (2025)
| awards =
}}
Duane Simpkins (born April 9, 1974) is an American college basketball coach who serves as the head coach of the American Eagles men's basketball team.{{Cite web|url=https://aueagles.com/staff-directory/duane-simpkins/289|title=Duane Simpkins - Head Coach - Staff Directory|website=American University}}
Playing career
Simpkins played high school basketball at DeMatha Catholic High School under Hall of Fame head coach Morgan Wootten and was a McDonald's High School All-American selection in 1992. He played his college basketball at Maryland under Gary Williams where he was a three-year starter and part of a trio of NCAA tournament appearances with the Terrapins.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/duane-simpkins-1.html|title=Duane Simpkins College Stats|website=College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com}}
Simpkins embarked on a professional career from 1997 to 2003, playing the USBL and ABA, as well as in various teams abroad including Olimpia Milano in Italy during the 2002–2003 season and Shandong in China in 2003.{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/international/players/duane-simpkins-1.html|title=Duane Simpkins International Stats | Basketball-Reference.com}}
Coaching career
In between his playing career, Simpkins served as an assistant coach at Bishop O'Connell High School from 1999 to 2000. After his playing career, Simpkins was hired as the head boys' basketball coach at Sidwell Friends School in 2005, and served there before becoming the head coach of the boys basketball team at St. Albans School in 2007.
His first coaching opportunity in the college ranks came with Towson, where he was hired as the coordinator of basketball operations under Pat Skerry in 2011.{{Cite web|url=https://towsontigers.com/news/2011/6/6/Duane_Simpkins_Joins_Tigers_Basketball_Staff|title=Duane Simpkins Joins Tigers' Basketball Staff|website=Towson University Athletics|date=6 June 2011 }} After a single season with the Tigers, Simpkins became an assistant coach at UNC Greensboro where he worked under Wes Miller from 2012 to 2015.{{Cite web|url=https://uncgspartans.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/duane-simpkins/564|title=Duane Simpkins - Assistant Coach (Recruiting Coordinator) - Men's Basketball Coaches|website=UNC Greensboro}} He'd return closer to the DMV area and join the staff at George Mason where he'd serve under both Dave Paulsen and Kim English from 2015 until 2023.{{cite web |title=Duane Simpkins - Men's Basketball Coach |url=https://gomason.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/duane-simpkins/1077 |website=George Mason University Athletics |access-date=2 April 2023}}
On April 1, 2023, Simpkins was hired to be the next head coach for the American Eagles.{{cite press release|url=https://aueagles.com/news/2023/4/1/mens-basketball-duane-simpkins-selected-as-18th-head-coach-of-american-university-mens-basketball.aspx|title=Duane Simpkins Selected as 18th Head Coach of American University Men's Basketball|publisher=American Eagles|date=April 1, 2023|access-date=April 1, 2023}}{{cite web |title=American U hires Duane Simpkins as basketball coach |url=https://apnews.com/article/american-university-duane-simpkins-e5094de0ca557d4711cdb77a3d81b556 |website=AP News |date=2 April 2023 |access-date=2 April 2023}}{{cite news |last1=Hill |first1=Glynn |title=Duane Simpkins named men's basketball coach at American University |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/04/01/american-duane-simpkins/ |newspaper=Washington Post |access-date=2 April 2023}}{{cite web |last1=Thamel |first1=Pete |title=American names George Mason asst. Duane Simpkins as new coach |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/36029571/sources-american-targeting-george-mason-asst-duane-simpkins |website=ESPN |date=April 2023 |access-date=2 April 2023}}{{cite web |title=American U hires Duane Simpkins as basketball coach |url=https://www.valdostadailytimes.com/ap/sports/american-u-hires-duane-simpkins-as-basketball-coach/article_7224248a-2d74-5dd8-a123-b27ed3a34f67.html |website=The Valdosta Daliy Times |access-date=2 April 2023}}
Head coaching record
=College=
{{CBB Yearly Record Start|
|type=coach
|conference=
|postseason=
|poll=
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = American Eagles
| conference= Patriot League
| startyear = 2023
| endyear =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 2023–24
| name = American
| overall = 16–16
| conference = 10–8
| confstanding = T–2nd
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = confboth
| season = 2024–25
| name = American
| overall = 22–13
| conference = 13–5
| confstanding = T–1st
| postseason = NCAA Division I First Four
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = American Eagles
| overall = {{Winning percentage|38|29|record=y}}
| confrecord = {{Winning percentage|23|13|record=y}}
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record End
| overall = {{Winning percentage|38|29|record=y}}
| poll = no
| polltype = no
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://umterps.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/duane-simpkins/11267 Maryland Terrapins bio]
- [https://uncgspartans.com/staff-directory/duane-simpkins/199 UNC Greensboro Spartans profile]
- [https://gomason.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/duane-simpkins/408 George Mason Patriots profile]
- [https://aueagles.com/staff-directory/duane-simpkins/289 American Eagles profile]
{{American Eagles men's basketball coach navbox}}
{{Patriot League men's basketball coach navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Simpkins, Duane}}
Category:American Eagles men's basketball coaches
Category:American expatriate basketball people in China
Category:American expatriate basketball people in Italy
Category:American men's basketball coaches
Category:American men's basketball players
Category:College men's basketball head coaches in the United States
Category:DeMatha Catholic High School alumni
Category:George Mason Patriots men's basketball coaches
Category:High school basketball coaches in Virginia
Category:Maryland Terrapins men's basketball players
Category:McDonald's High School All-Americans
Category:Olimpia Milano players
Category:Shandong Hi-Speed Kirin players
Category:Towson Tigers men's basketball coaches