Particle.news
Download on the App Store
5 ARTICLES
·
last wk.

Former Oklahoma State Coach Bob Simmons Dies at 77

His death marks the loss of the Cowboys’ first Black head coach and comes as the university has not released the cause of death.

Image
An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Bob Simmons wearing a headset and a white and red baseball cap, Image 2 shows Bob Simmons, former football coach for Oklahoma State, in a black and orange OSU polo shirt and an OSU cap, wearing sunglasses

Overview

  • Bob Simmons died Tuesday, the university announced on June 10, 2026, and officials have not yet provided details about the cause or circumstances of his death.
  • Simmons served as Oklahoma State’s head coach from 1995 to 2000 and finished with a 30-38 record across six seasons.
  • His tenure produced signature moments for the program, including a 12-0 Bedlam win at Oklahoma in 1995 that ended a long losing streak and an 8-4 season in 1997 that led to the Alamo Bowl and a Big 12 Coach of the Year award.
  • Before taking the Oklahoma State job, Simmons spent decades as an assistant, including as Colorado’s linebackers coach on the 1990 national championship staff, and later worked at schools such as Notre Dame and Washington.
  • The family is already grieving after the August 2025 death of his son Nathan, and the university and local media say reporting on Bob Simmons’s death is still developing.