Dennis Simmons - Football Coach

Dennis Simmons

Title:
Assistant Head Coach / Co-Offensive Coordinator / Wide Receivers Coach
Email:
football@usc.edu
Phone:
(213) 740-4204
Instagram:
@dennis.simmons.7927

Dennis Simmons enters his fifth season at USC as the assistant head coach, co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach. He has coached some of the collegiate game’s elite receivers and has mentored three Biletnikoff winners.

Throughout his career, Simmons has coached 20 NFL Draft picks, including 5 first rounders.

In 2025, Simmons was named FootballScoop’s Wide Receivers Coach of the Year. Simmons mentored 2025 Biletnikoff winner Makai Lemon throughout his entire USC career. Lemon was USC’s second-ever recipient of the Biletnikoff Award. Additionally, Lemon was named the 2025 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year. He was also selected a unanimous First Team All-American. He was USC's first unanimous selection since QB Caleb Williams and DT Tuli Tuipulotu were unanimous selections in 2022, also under Riley. Lemon also earned First Team All-Conference honors by the Big Ten. Per PFF, Lemon was the highest graded wide receiver in college football holding an overall grade of 90.4 and the nation's top receiving grade of 91.3. He finished the regular season leading the Power Four in receiving yards (1,156) and receiving yards per game (96.3). He also led the Big Ten in receptions per game (6.6), yards after catch (502) and tied for most receiving TDs (11). Lemon finished the regular season third in the Power Four with 19 receptions of 20+ yards, and he was tied for first nationally with 50 catches for first downs. In 2025, Lemon scored 11 receiving TDs, 2 rushing TDs and threw a passing TD. Lemon was the first Big Ten player to catch 2 TDs and throw a TD in a game (versus Oregon) since Minnesota's Eric Decker versus Cal on Sept. 19, 2009. He recorded five 100-yard receiving games in 2025 and seven in his career. He recorded double digits in receptions 3 times in 2025. In his career, he's recorded 137 receptions for 2,008 yards (14.7 avg.) with 14 TDs, and he ranks 22nd on USC's career receptions list. The Trojans finished the season No. 5 nationally in third down conversion percentage (.513), No. 5 nationally and first in the Big Ten in passing offense (296.0), No. 8 nationally and first in the Big Ten in total offense (465.5) and No. 10 nationally and first in the Big Ten in passing yards per completion (13.74). He also tutored WR Ja’Kobi Lane (49 rec. for 745 yards and 4 TDs) and breakout freshman Tanook Hines (34 rec. for 531 yards and 2 TDs). Lane and fellow receiver Jaden Richardson both earned the No. 1 play on SportsCenter for their acrobatic one-handed catches in the Georgia Southern and TCU games, respectively.

In 2024, the Trojans finished the season ranked in the national Top 25 in passing offense (10, 291.9), third down conversion percentage (25, 0.448), total offense (23, 437.2) and first downs offense (24, 303). WR Makai Lemon was USC's most versatile player of the 2024 season. He recorded 46 receptions for a team-leading 665 yards (14.5 avg.) and 3 TDs. Lemon also fielded kickoff returns, recording 18 returns for 468 yards (26.0 avg.) with a long of 80 yards. He ranked No. 6 in the nation in kickoff returns. The Trojans concluded the season with a 35-31 victory over Texas A&M in the Las Vegas Bowl. The win marked the biggest comeback victory in Las Vegas Bowl history. Additionally, it was the largest deficit that USC has ever overcome in a bowl game win, with the previous being a 15-point deficit against Penn State in the 2017 Rose Bowl. Wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane was named the bowl MVP after recording 7 receptions for 127 yards and a Las Vegas Bowl record 3 TDs. Throughout the season, Lane recorded 43 receptions for 525 yards and a team-leading 12 TDs.

In 2023, Simmons’ outside receivers were a part of an offense that was ranked No. 3 in the nation in scoring offense (41.8) and No. 10 in the nation in total offense (467.6). He tutored senior Brenden Rice who was ranked No. 9 in the nation in receiving touchdowns (12). WR Tahj Washington led the Trojans in receptions and receiving yards in 2023, recording 59 receptions for 1,062 yards (18.0 avg.), amassing over 1,000 yards for the first time in his career. He tallied 8 TDs for the Trojans. USC was victorious over No. 16 Louisville in the Holiday Bowl to end the season. Rice and Washington were both drafted in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Chargers and the Miami Dolphins, respectively.

In 2022, Simmons coached a standout group of outside receivers who contributed to a recorded-setting season for the Trojan offense in 2022. He tutored All-Pac-12 First Team member Jordan Addison (59 catches for 875 yards and 8 TDs). USC played in the Cotton Bowl to conclude the 2022 season. Addison was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings as the No. 23 overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft.

He spent the previous 7 seasons (2015-21) at Oklahoma as the outside receivers coach.  He added the associate head coach title in 2019 and 2020 and the assistant head coach and passing game coordinator roles in 2021.  He was named one of the nation's Top 25 recruiters by Rivals in 2019.  He coached a trio of All-American first team wide receivers at Oklahoma:  2016 Biletnikoff Award winner, Heisman Trophy finalist and unanimous All-American Dede Westbrook (81 catches for 1,524 yards and 17 TDs), Marquise Brown in 2018 (1,318 receiving yards and 10 TDs) and 2019 Biletnikoff finalist and consensus All-American CeeDee Lamb (62 catches for 1,327 yards with 14 TDs).  During his tenure, Oklahoma played in the 2015 Orange Bowl (College Football Playoff semifinal), 2017 Sugar Bowl, 2018 Rose Bowl (CFP semifinal), 2018 Orange Bowl (CFP semifinal), 2019 Peach Bowl (CFP semifinal), 2020 Cotton Bowl and 2021 Alamo Bowl.

He was the outside receivers coach at Washington State for 3 years (2012-14).  The Cougars led the nation in passing offense (477.7) in 2014, throwing for a Pac-12 record 5,732 yards, and were seventh in total offense and ninth in completion percentage when wideout Vince Mayle tied for fourth nationally in receptions (106) and was fifth in receiving yards (1,483).  In 2013, WSU was fourth in the nation in passing offence (368.0) and set a Pac-12 record with 470 completions while playing in the New Mexico Bowl.

He spent 2010 and 2011 as East Carolina's outside receivers coach.  Wide receiver Lance Lewis was an All-Conference USA pick in 2010 (89 catches for 1,116 yards with 14 TDs), just the third Pirate ever with a 1,000-yard receiving season. ECU played in the 2010 Military Bowl.

He was Texas Tech's outside receivers coach for 2 years (2008-09).  In 2008, wide receiver Michael Crabtree repeated as the Biletnikoff winner and consensus All-American (97 receptions, 1,165 yards, 19 TDs).  In 2009, wideout Alex Torres was a Freshman All-American.  The Red Raiders played in the 2008 Cotton Bowl and 2010 Alamo Bowl.

Simmons spent 2000 to 2007 in non-coaching roles at Texas Tech. He first was an assistant athletic director/quality control for the football program, then served as the chief of staff for head coach Mike Leach for 3 years (2005-07).

He coached running backs at Cornell in 1999, where also held was an assistant athletics director and chief of staff.  He served as an NFL Minority Fellowship intern with the Buffalo Bills in the summer of 1999.

He began his coaching career at BYU, his alma mater, where he worked with the offensive line and special teams in 1997.

He played outside linebacker at BYU (1993-96), where he started the final 3 years.  The Cougars won 4 Western Athletic Conference titles and played in the Cotton, Copper, Holiday and Aloha Bowls.

He earned his bachelor's degree in broadcast communications in 1996 and a master's degree in educational leadership in 1999, both from BYU.

He prepped at Kirby High in Memphis (Tenn.).

He and his wife, LaTosha, have a daughter, Kendyll, and son, Kannon.