PRAIRIE GROVE – Not much has been mentioned publicly, but Mike Simmons confirmed via phone call on Wednesday morning that he is now the boys basketball head coach at Prairie Grove. The move became official “about three weeks ago,” per Simmons.
Simmons held the same position at Greenbrier from 2013 through this past season. He took the Panthers to five state tournaments in his time there, most recently during the 2022-23 season when they fell to Marion in the first round.
A native of Mountainburg, Simmons mentioned being closer to family as the primary reason for the move. Many of his family and friends reside in the area, plus his son, Tyler, was recently hired as the boys Coach at Greenland, approximately 20 minutes away from Prairie Grove. Including Greenbrier, Simmons has coached for over three decades and had additional stints at Magazine, Bald Knob and, most notably, Mountain View for 15 years.
Prairie Grove went 11-19 overall this year and finished fourth in the 4A-1 regular season standings.
Kyle Sutherland is a journalist and podcast host (Arkansas Preps Weekly) for The Natural State Sports Network. His written work has been featured in outlets including the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Best of Arkansas Sports and Hooten’s Arkansas Football. He is also the color commentator for 103.7 The Buzz’s high school football Game of the Week. Email Kyle at kyle@naturalstatesports.com.