University of Evansville Coach Simmons Loses 135 Pounds Since March

When Coach Marty Simmons leads his University of Evansville basketball team on to the Roberts Stadium floor Oct. 30 for an exhibition game against DePauw University, some fans may do a double take.

Simmons’ wife, Angie, says that’s typical.

“We’ll go somewhere, she said, and you can tell people are looking at him and trying to figure out, ‘Is that Marty Simmons or not?'”

Since March 15, the 6-foot-5-inch Simmons has shed 135 pounds with the help of a nutritionist and a daily regimen of walking and now jogging three miles every day at 4:30 a.m. with his wife at his side.

Angie Simmons has reached her goal of losing 70 pounds, but her husband has a way to go, though he appears fit — and younger — inside his office at UE, clad in Aces purple shorts and orange T-shirt.

“I don’t know what my goal is. First it was 50 pounds, then 100; now it’s 150. We’ll see where it goes, he comments.

Simmons, once a sweaty figure with a penchant for sweater vests, jokes that his wife is still a half lap ahead of me.”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been in this shape.”

Although he was always a big-boned guy with a lot of pride and a stubborn passion (nickname The Mule) for everything, especially basketball, he admits over the past 10 years “I let myself go.”

“He would never step on a scale, ” says Angie Simmons, during a joint interview at her husband’s UE office at Carson Center.

She also had gained weight as a coach’s wife and mother of Brittany, 23, Kelsey, 18, Blake, 16, and Cole, 8.

Coaching college basketball is a stressful life, and before he returned to his alma mater in 2007 to take over a struggling Aces program, where he starred from 1986-88, the former Mr. Illinois basketball player from Lawrenceville was building Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville into a Division II power.

The couple met at UE after both transferred to Evansville — Simmons from Indiana University, where he played his freshman and sophomore years for Bob Knight, and Angie from Franklin College. She became an Acette at UE.

“My dad was a huge IU fan, recalls Angie Simmons. I didn’t know Marty, but I’d meet my parents in Bloomington and saw him play.”

They were introduced at a UE soccer game by Simmons’ teammate Curtis Jackson.

Simmons won’t say how much he weighed last March, just that he hit his peak after returning to UE as coach.

“Now I get two comments, he says. You’ve lost a person (135 pounds). That one is a little tough. But my favorite is, ‘You look 15 or 20 years younger.’ That’s a thrill. When you’re an athlete or competitor, you want to feel good, and that makes me feel good!”

Why the lifestyle change?

Angie Simmons says the time was right. They were in their mid-40s and realized they wanted to be around for their children and, eventually, grandchildren.

Simmons grins at his wife: “She was the catalyst. I think she did this for me so I would do it.”

Angie Simmons: “We had friends (and others) who were concerned about the stress of Marty’s job (and were encouraging him to lose weight). It’s always stressful. Even if you win, you have to keep winning.”

And Simmons adds, “My family has been on me for years … I didn’t feel bad when I coached, but when I looked in the mirror, well, I’m not blind.

Pat Wempe, a former UE baseball player and now a physical therapist, recommended Jan Schenk, a nutritionist with The Perfect Plan on North Green River Road.

“She’s off the charts, awesome, Simmons beams. In a lot of ways, she is my coach. She tells us what to eat; she motivates us; she hugs us; she holds us accountable.”

Marty and Angie Simmons visit Schenk’s office several times a week, including a weekly weigh-in.

Schenk returns the compliment: “Marty’s a doll, has a huge heart. He and Angie met the challenge, did everything I asked.”

Much like a personal trainer armed with 300 recipes, she teaches healthy living habits using the four basic food groups — lots of fish, baked chicken, turkey, vegetables, fruit, but no fried food or sweets.

“Low-fat yogurt is my chocolate cake, Simmons quips, but I don’t go hungry. I’m a big guy, and I need food. Jan told me from Day 1, ‘I want you to eat to make this work.'”

Angie Simmons, who’s ready to go on the program’s maintenance plan, notes while it isn’t difficult to eat out in restaurants (Marty had an Italian chicken salad with no croutons or feta cheese the other day at Turoni’s with former Aces coach Jim Crews), it mostly involves preparing food at home and taking healthy snacks (apples, oranges, cottage cheese) to work. Angie Simmons is an assistant teacher at Castle High School.

“The first four weeks I felt I never stepped out of the kitchen. I was buying ingredients, cooking. But once we got into the routine, it became easy, she says.

Under their previous lifestyle, she adds, the two often would grab a quick pizza between Aces practice, homework assignments and their children’s school activities.

Now, in addition to eating healthy, they jog at a Newburgh grade school track before daybreak, accompanied by their dog.

At first we would walk a lap, then run a lap, Simmons recalls. The last three months we’ve been jogging.”

On Fridays, after his run, he returns to their Newburgh home long enough to carry out a favorite chore.

“My neighbors are probably not happy with me, he divulges, but I like to mow my yard at 7:30 a.m., before my weigh-in, whether it needs it or not.”

His wife laughs: “He’s going to look pretty silly out there mowing — in December!”

University of Evansville Coach Simmons Loses 135 Pounds Since March

From Evansville Courier & Press

When Coach Marty Simmons leads his University of Evansville basketball team on to the Roberts Stadium floor Oct. 30 for an exhibition game against DePauw University, some fans may do a double take.

Simmons’ wife, Angie, says that’s typical.

“We’ll go somewhere, she said, and you can tell people are looking at him and trying to figure out, ‘Is that Marty Simmons or not?'”

Since March 15, the 6-foot-5-inch Simmons has shed 135 pounds with the help of a nutritionist and a daily regimen of walking and now jogging three miles every day at 4:30 a.m. with his wife at his side.

Angie Simmons has reached her goal of losing 70 pounds, but her husband has a way to go, though he appears fit — and younger — inside his office at UE, clad in Aces purple shorts and orange T-shirt.

“I don’t know what my goal is. First it was 50 pounds, then 100; now it’s 150. We’ll see where it goes, he comments.

Simmons, once a sweaty figure with a penchant for sweater vests, jokes that his wife is still a half lap ahead of me.”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been in this shape.”

Although he was always a big-boned guy with a lot of pride and a stubborn passion (nickname The Mule) for everything, especially basketball, he admits over the past 10 years “I let myself go.”

“He would never step on a scale, says Angie Simmons, during a joint interview at her husband’s UE office at Carson Center.

She also had gained weight as a coach’s wife and mother of Brittany, 23, Kelsey, 18, Blake, 16, and Cole, 8.

Coaching college basketball is a stressful life, and before he returned to his alma mater in 2007 to take over a struggling Aces program, where he starred from 1986-88, the former Mr. Illinois basketball player from Lawrenceville was building Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville into a Division II power.

The couple met at UE after both transferred to Evansville — Simmons from Indiana University, where he played his freshman and sophomore years for Bob Knight, and Angie from Franklin College. She became an Acette at UE.

My dad was a huge IU fan, recalls Angie Simmons. I didn’t know Marty, but I’d meet my parents in Bloomington and saw him play.”

They were introduced at a UE soccer game by Simmons’ teammate Curtis Jackson.

Simmons won’t say how much he weighed last March, just that he hit his peak after returning to UE as coach.

“Now I get two comments, he says. You’ve lost a person (135 pounds). That one is a little tough. But my favorite is, ‘You look 15 or 20 years younger.’ That’s a thrill. When you’re an athlete or competitor, you want to feel good, and that makes me feel good!”

Why the lifestyle change?

Angie Simmons says the time was right. They were in their mid-40s and realized they wanted to be around for their children and, eventually, grandchildren.

Simmons grins at his wife: “She was the catalyst. I think she did this for me so I would do it.”

Angie Simmons: “We had friends (and others) who were concerned about the stress of Marty’s job (and were encouraging him to lose weight). It’s always stressful. Even if you win, you have to keep winning.”

And Simmons adds, “My family has been on me for years … I didn’t feel bad when I coached, but when I looked in the mirror, well, I’m not blind.

Pat Wempe, a former UE baseball player and now a physical therapist, recommended Jan Schenk, a nutritionist with The Perfect Plan on North Green River Road.

“She’s off the charts, awesome, Simmons beams. In a lot of ways, she is my coach. She tells us what to eat; she motivates us; she hugs us; she holds us accountable.”

Marty and Angie Simmons visit Schenk’s office several times a week, including a weekly weigh-in.

Schenk returns the compliment: “Marty’s a doll, has a huge heart. He and Angie met the challenge, did everything I asked.”

Much like a personal trainer armed with 300 recipes, she teaches healthy living habits using the four basic food groups — lots of fish, baked chicken, turkey, vegetables, fruit, but no fried food or sweets.

“Low-fat yogurt is my chocolate cake, Simmons quips, but I don’t go hungry. I’m a big guy, and I need food. Jan told me from Day 1, ‘I want you to eat to make this work.'”

Angie Simmons, who’s ready to go on the program’s maintenance plan, notes while it isn’t difficult to eat out in restaurants (Marty had an Italian chicken salad with no croutons or feta cheese the other day at Turoni’s with former Aces coach Jim Crews), it mostly involves preparing food at home and taking healthy snacks (apples, oranges, cottage cheese) to work. Angie Simmons is an assistant teacher at Castle High School.

“The first four weeks I felt I never stepped out of the kitchen. I was buying ingredients, cooking. But once we got into the routine, it became easy, she says.

Under their previous lifestyle, she adds, the two often would grab a quick pizza between Aces practice, homework assignments and their children’s school activities.

Now, in addition to eating healthy, they jog at a Newburgh grade school track before daybreak, accompanied by their dog.

At first we would walk a lap, then run a lap, Simmons recalls. The last three months we’ve been jogging.”

On Fridays, after his run, he returns to their Newburgh home long enough to carry out a favorite chore.

“My neighbors are probably not happy with me, he divulges, but I like to mow my yard at 7:30 a.m., before my weigh-in, whether it needs it or not.”

His wife laughs: “He’s going to look pretty silly out there mowing — in December!”