Willie Simon put together a remarkable 14-year career at S.C. State SCSU as its all-time winningest women’s basketball coach. A standout athlete at then-Lake View High School in West Columbia, Simon went on to attend Allen University in his hometown of Columbia. In his spare time, Simon played Sandlot Baseball for The West Columbia Braves.
After college, his first coaching job was at Lexington Rosenwald High School from 1956-1968. Simon coached football, boy’s and girl’s basketball.
Lacking adequate resources to buy football equipment, in 11 years Simon’s teams won seven state and nine Football Conference championships while posting a 99-15-4 record.
Simon’s college coaching career begin when he left to coach baseball for one season at his alma mater Allen University from 1968 -1969 before becoming the head baseball coach at South Carolina State College.
Simon coached the Bulldogs to the Southeastern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference baseball championships between 1969-73 and sent Gene Richards and Willie Mays Aikens to Major League Baseball.
From 1969-1987, he was an assistant to Bulldogs legendary football coach Willie Jeffries
and was a part of three MEAC championships and one black college national championship.
Simon girls’ basketball teams won four district championships and the boys’ teams nine district championships and a state championship.
Simon’s Lady Bulldogs team won the AIAW National Championship in 1978-79 in a thrilling 73-68 win over Dayton.  From 1974-1988, Simon won 121 games during his first four seasons and retired with 305 wins and 93 losses in 18 seasons. He also served as track and volleyball coach from 1979-82.
Simon is a member of the SC State Athletic Hall of Fame, the Allen University Athletic Hall of Fame, and the Lakeview and Lexington Rosenwald Commemorative Calendars by Historic Schools Legacy Foundation.