Contact for:
Baseball; Men's Basketball; Men's Soccer
Secondary contact for:
Women's Basketball; Men's/Women's Swimming & Diving; Volleyball
Ray Simmons was named the University of Southern Indiana Director of Athletic Communication in August of 1989. Simmons, who has worked in the athletic communication field for more than 30 years, is the media liaison for the USI Department of Athletics and the primary media contact for the men’s and women’s soccer, men’s basketball, and baseball programs.
During his tenure at USI, Simmons helped to promote and publicize four NCAA Division II national players of the year, more than 44 All-Americans, and 14 Academic All-Americans. He also has helped to publicize the USI’s team successes such as the USI baseball 2010 and 2014 national championships; men’s basketball 1995 national championship; the 1994, 2004, 2019 men’s basketball Elite Eight teams; the 1997 women’s basketball national finalist team; and the 2007, 2016, and 2018 baseball runs to the national championship series.
Simmons was the host site media coordinator when USI and the City of Evansville hosted the 2002, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2022 NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Elite Eight and the 2004 and 2009 NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s Cross Country National Championships. He also was the media liaison to CBS Sports for the national championship events.
Outside of his University duties, Simmons has assisted with media relations as a press officer at the 1994 and 1995 United States Olympic Festivals and a sports information coordinator at the 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000 NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Elite Eights.
The native of Litchfield, Illinois, came to USI after a year as the assistant sports information director at Florida International University in Miami, Florida, where he worked with Division I men’s and women’s soccer, women’s basketball, men’s and women’s tennis, volleyball, and baseball.
Simmons started building his athletic communications background while earning his bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. He was a student assistant for three years and was recognized by the NCAA for outstanding contributions to the success of the 1986 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships.
Prior to graduation, Simmons did his under-graduate internship at ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut. He worked in the area of media and public relations for ESPN, dealing with Chris Berman and Dick Vitale on fan mail and announcer broadcast appearances.
A member of the College Sports Information Directors of America, Simmons was the chair of the CoSIDA NCAA Legislation Liaison Committee for five years (2001-05); was an at-large representative on the College Division Management Advisory Committee (2016-18); a member of the Charity Committee (2006-07) and served two terms as a member the inaugural D2SIDA Board of Directors (2006-12). Simmons also was elected to two terms on the USI Administrative Senate (2011-14; 2021-Present).
Simmons and his wife, Vicki, reside in Evansville.
Updated: May 31, 2021
