Michigan State Football assistant coach poached by in-state program

Michigan State football is set to lose a respected coach on the Spartans coaching staff, as assistant defensive line coach Antjuan Simmons is leaving East Lansing to accept the linebackers coaching job at Saginaw Valley State.

Simmons is a former defensive captain and linebacker at MSU during the 2017-20 seasons. In Simmons 46 total games played, the captain had 231 tackles, 26 tackles-for-loss and 4.5 sacks. In four years Simmons also racked up two interceptions, three fumble recoveries and five pass breakups.

For his senior season effort, Simmons earned All-Big Ten recognition by the media (second team), Associated Press (second team), Phil Steele (second team) and coaches (third team).

After Simmons senior season, Simmons was invited to the 2021 East-West Shrine Game and the NFLPA Collegiate All-Star Game.  Simmons preceded to go undrafted and join the Spartans coaching staff a graduate assistant coach for the 2021 season.

The commits Simmons recruited during his tenure were impressive. Four-star defensive lineman Derrick Simmons, three-star defensive lineman Mikeshun Beeler and three-star safety Brayden Thomas were recruited by Simmons.

At Saginaw Valley State, Simmons will climb the latter and work with the linebackers directly on for the Cardinals. Simmons promotion grants him more responsibility and leadership within the locker room while staying within the same state of Michigan.

Michigan State will look to fill the assistant defensive line coach hole created by Simmons exit. After current linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator Max Bullough returned home to East Lansing, Simmons may have thought he was the right man for the job, and took a step up the latter at Saginaw Valley State.

It was originally reported that Bullough was expected to bring graduate assistant Tre Reader with him to MSU when Bullough left Notre Dame. However, a month after Bullough accepted the position with Pat Fitzgerald and Michigan State football, it was reported that Reader was expected to stay at Notre Dame and take an increased role within the defense itself.