New Sideline Shuffle: Simmons Trades Spartans’ Green for SVSU Red
Antjuan Simmons, a former Michigan State defensive lineman and recent assistant coach, is set to leave East Lansing for Saginaw Valley State University, where he’ll take on the role of linebackers coach. Simmons, who played for MSU from 2017 to 2020 and amassed 231 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and two interceptions, joined the Spartan staff in 2023—first as a graduate assistant with linebackers, then as assistant defensive line coach. Originally slated to remain under Pat Fitzgerald alongside head DL coach Winston DeLattiboudere III, Simmons opted instead to step into a larger Division II assignment under SVSU’s new head coach Michael Engle and DC Jacob Pardonnet.
It seems the only thing more unpredictable than a football play is a coaching résumé—here we have Simmons, who once tackled Big Ten stars and now tackles the more intimate arena of Division II recruiting. One minute you’re in Spartan Stadium, the next you’re scouting linebackers in plastic bleachers and convincing them that SVSU’s cafeteria Caesar salad is worth a lifetime commitment. But hey, if you can’t handle the freezing Michigan winters and the pressure of Spartan Nation, why not embrace the thrill of Division II, where the only conflict is whether the team bus has Wi-Fi?
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