[Ed 11/10/22 – Bumped, in honor of Red Simmons’ induction into the Michigan Hall of Honor Friday night (11/11/2022).] Former women’s track head coach Red Simmons is a fixture on the athletic campus, whether it’s attending football, hockey, or basketball games, or working out each morning at Crisler Arena. Oh, did I mention Simmons turns 100 in three weeks? I recently sat down with the Michigan legend to talk about his amazing life for a piece for GoBlueWolverine Magazine for next month. Definitely check that out, but in the meantime, I wanted to share this nugget. Simmons was a track star at Redford High School and was offered a slot on the U-M track team. He told me that part of his desire to come to Ann Arbor stemmed from a trip he and his pals took when he was 17 years old: Simmons: “My heart was set on coming to Michigan. In 1927 when the football stadium was opened, two other guys from Redford and I hitchhiked up here to see the game. At that time I thought, ‘Boy I’d love to go to this school.’” It didn’t occur to me until after the interview that Simmons is very likely the last living person to attend the first game at Michigan Stadium. I’d love to know if anyone knows…
-
-
Happy 100th Birthday, Red Simmons!
Most mornings you can find former Michigan women’s track coach Ken ‘Red’ Simmons at Crisler Arena, lifting weights, walking steps and occasionally taking laps around the concourse. His fitness routine today is a far cry from a Mike Barwis workout session, but Coach Simmons has a pretty good excuse– he turns 100 years old today (January 5, 2010). Simmons was a high school track champion at Redford High in Detroit and intended on joining the Michigan track team before the stock market crash of 1929 ended those plans. He eventually wound up running track at Michigan Normal (later Eastern Michigan) in Ypsilanti where he had a successful collegiate career which included a trip to the 1932 Olympic trials. After school, Simmons joined the Detroit Police Department where he served as an officer and was on the police track team for twenty-five years. During his tenure on the force he became good friends with Olympic legend Jesse Owens and implemented the then-revolutionary practice of including weight training as part of the squad workout regimen. In 1959, just two days after his retirement from the Police Department, Simmons knocked on Fritz Crisler’s door in Ann Arbor to inquire about a coaching position at Michigan. Crisler knew of Simmons exploits on the track and his use of weight-training and hired him in to…
