Leondre Simmon enters his fourth season on the Diplomats' staff in 2025 where he currently serves as the team's defensive pass game coordinator. He joined the staff for the 2022 season where he worked as the defensive backs coach. In just his first year, Simmon led a defensive unit that picked off 20 passes and scored three defensive touchdowns as both of those marks led the Centennial Conference and ranked in the top 10 for all of Division III. He also guided Justin Gerhart '24 to All-America honors as the F&M cornerback led all of Division III with eight interceptions. Most recently, F&M finished the 2024 season with the fourth-ranked defense in all of Division III as that side of the ball allowed just 227.1 yards per game while opponents scored just 13.1 points per game.
Simmon came to the Diplomats after spending six years as an assistant coach at Williams where head coach Tom Blumenauer was also on that staff. At Williams, Simmon also worked primarily with the team's secondary.
"I am thrilled to have Leondre joining our staff," said Blumenauer. "Leondre is a talented football coach who takes pride in building strong relationships with every student-athlete he encounters."
With experience on both sides of the ball at the skill positions, Simmon helped to mentor 12 All-NESCAC selections during his final three seasons with the Ephs as that offense consistently ranked among the best in the conference. During the undefeated 2021 season, Simmon worked with a defense that led the NESCAC in passing defense (165.4 ypg) and was the fifth-best scoring defense in the entire country.
Prior to joining the staff at Williams, Simmon was a standout wide receiver and defensive back in his own right at St. Lawrence. As two-way player for the Saints, Simmon was a two-time All-American. During his senior season, Simmon led the Liberty League with six interceptions while also earning first-team All-East Region and first-team All-Liberty League accolades. A 2016 graduate of St. Lawrence with a degree in sociology, Simmon also minored in education and sports medicine and coaching. He was additionally a three-year letter winner on the St. Lawrence basketball team where he started at point guard.
