Simpson enters his 18th season as head coach for the men's tennis program at Lander University after serving as the head coach at Anderson University for eight years.
Simpson was hired in May of 2005. During his 17 years at Lander, Simpson has posted a 277-88 record with the men's team. Simpson started the women's program back in 2007 and led it to an overall record of 124-115 in 12 seasons.
The men's team has captured a share of three regular-season conference titles and has reached the NCAA regional tournament in each of Simpson's 17 seasons as head coach. The Bearcats advanced to the NCAA tournament Elite Eight in 2013, made the Final Four in 2015, and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in 2016 and 2018. Simpson has coached a Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year (Joakim Karlsson, 2007) and Freshman of the Year (Karlsson, 2006). He has also coached nine NCAA All-Americans while at Lander and was named Southeast Region Coach of The Year three times (2006, 2013, 2016). Simpson was named the Peach Belt Conference Coach of the Year in 2015 after leading the Bearcats to within a match of the national championship.
Prior to joining the Bearcats, Simpson spent eight seasons as the head coach at Anderson. After taking over the Trojans in July 1997, Simpson was able to reestablish the tennis program to national prominence with two trips to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen and six consecutive NCAA Regional Tournament berths. His men's team at Anderson dominated the now Conference Carolina's with a 65-5 conference record, which included four regular-season and three tournament conference championships in six years of conference play. During this time Simpson was named Conference Coach of the Year in 2002 and 2004, Region Coach of the Year in 2001 and South Carolina Coach of the Year in 2002.
A three-time All-American at Lander, Simpson was a part of four consecutive national championship teams from 1991-94. He was the 1993 Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year, Rolex Southeast singles champion and Rolex national singles finalist. In 1994 he was part of the NCAA Division II doubles championship team.
Simpson was inducted into Lander's Athletic Hall of Fame in June 2002 and the Peach Belt Conference Hall of Fame in May 2018.
Simpson, a native of Sydney, Australia, earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from Lander in 1994.
He now resides in Greenwood with wife Paula and son Graeme.
