• Coach Red Simmons Passes Away at 102

    Coach Simmons during our interview at Crisler in 2009 (MVictors photo) It was very sad for me to see the press release this morning.   We lost a great man and incredible tie to the history of athletics in this area.  Simmons ran track with Jesse Owens and Willis Ward and was a pioneer in weight training and in women’s athletics at Michigan.  For football fans: I’m confident he’s was the last living person to see the inaugural game at the Big House in 1927. Here are a few videos I took of Simmons during our interview: Part 1: On his friend, track legend Jesse Owens Part 2: Police Department Part 3: Hired by Fritz Crisler Part 4: Working out at Crisler Arena Part 5:  More Workout at Crisler And here’s a link to several quotes from our interview a few years back, a few of my favorites: On meeting Fielding Yost: I met him, I think it was 1927. He was at a high school meet at some point. It was so long ago. My impression was that he was a very sociable man. He’d walk around and talk to you. There was no feeling that he thought he was special. He was just a regular guy.” On his friendship with Jesse Owens: I became friends with Jesse Owns in…