In his third season at the helm of the Miami University baseball program, head coach Dan Simonds has posted back-to-back 30 win seasons, including a 32-24 record in 2007, giving the RedHawks 11 straight seasons with 30-plus wins.

Simonds has led the RedHawks to two consecutive Mid-American Conference Tournaments and has coached five Major League Baseball draft picks in two seasons in Oxford, all drafted in the first 10 rounds.

An assistant at Miami from 2000-04, Simonds was a key component to six of those nine 30-win seasons and that understanding of the tradition of success at Miami makes the future of Miami baseball as promising as it has ever been.

"The combination of Dan's significant past contributions to our baseball program and his understanding of the rigor of our curricula, along with his coaching and playing experience at both the collegiate and professional levels, separated him from an extraordinary pool of nationally-respected candidates," said Miami University Director of Athletics Brad Bates upon Simonds appointment as Miami's head coach in July 2005.

"We are looking forward to watching Dan, his staff, and our student-athletes take the championship foundation he helped create and continue to build a program of scholars, future leaders in our communities and champions."

Prior to taking over as the head coach at Miami, Simonds led Xavier to a 19-35 record in 2005, up from the Musketeers' 16-38 mark in 2004. An 11-5 victory over Miami at McKie Field on March 4, 2005, marked the first win of his collegiate head coaching career. As a team, Xavier hit .279 with 26 home runs in 2005 compared to a .248 average with 18 long balls the year prior to Simonds' arrival.

Prior to his one-year stint as Xavier's head coach, Simonds was the hitting coach and recruiting coordinator at Miami for five seasons (2000-04). The RedHawks went 178-121-1 (.595) during those years and batted .315, including a .320 average in 2004. In 2000, he helped guide Miami to the Mid-American Conference Tournament title and a bid in the NCAA Tournament, where the RedHawks defeated Creighton.

Under Simonds' tutelage, nine Miami hitters went on to professional careers, including Mike Ferris, a second-round draft pick of the St. Louis Cardinals in 2004, Justin Knoedler, who made his major league debut with San Francisco in 2004, and David Cook, a ninth-round pick of the Chicago White Sox.

The 43-year-old Simonds spent four years coaching in the San Diego Padres organization prior to his stint at Miami, managing the Class A Fort Wayne Wizards in 1999 and working as the hitting and catching instructor for the Class A Clinton Lumber Kings from 1997-98. He was a roving instructor/coach for the Bluefield Orioles in the Baltimore Orioles organization in 1995-96. His first professional coaching experience was as an assistant coach and bullpen catcher for the Chicago Cubs from 1992-94.

A 1987 graduate of Davidson College, Simonds was the starting catcher and team captain as a senior while twice earning All-Southern Conference honors. Following graduation, Simonds was an eighth-round pick of the Baltimore Orioles in 1987 and three years later was acquired by the Chicago Cubs as a free agent. He earned All-Appalachian League and All-California League honors in 1987 and 1988, respectively. In 1989, Simonds was selected by the Eastern Leauge to play on the Diamond Diplomacy Tour in the former Soviet Union.

During his seven seasons at Miami, five as an assistant and two as the head coach, 21 players have been drafted by major league organizations, including nine players in the first 10 rounds. Last season, pitchers John Ely (3rd-Chicago White Sox) and Connor Graham (5th-Colorado) went in the top 10 rounds, marking the third time during Simonds' tenure that at least two RedHawks were selected in the first 10 rounds.

Simonds resides in Mason with his wife, Dawn, son, Sam (15) and daughter, Madison (3).