Utah head men’s basketball coach Craig Smith announced the addition of Triston Simpson to his staff as the special assistant to the head coach.
“I am so excited to have Triston join our staff,” Smith said. “I recruited and coached Triston at South Dakota. He is tough, competitive, relentless with his effort and very intelligent. His attention to detail, desire and ability to build relationships is what really stands out. He joins us with a fresh perspective coming from Nebraska and recently retired from playing professionally overseas.”
Simpson comes to Salt Lake City with some familiarity, having played for Smith his first two seasons at South Dakota (2016-18). He finished his career averaging 9.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting .434 from the floor. The Lincoln, Neb., product averaged double-digit points his final two seasons for the Coyotes scoring 14.0 points per game in 2018-19 and 11.8 points per game in 2019-20. South Dakota recorded 81 wins during his collegiate career – including a 26-9 mark in 2017-18.
“I am extremely excited for this opportunity,” said Simpson. “I am thankful for Coach Smith and the University of Utah. Let’s get to work, Runnin’ Utes!”
After college, Simpson spent three years playing professionally overseas in Iceland, Argentina, Cyprus and Estonia.
Simpson moved into the coaching ranks when he returned stateside and started at powerhouse Indian Hills Community College. In his lone his season with the Warriors, they went 29-6 overall with North Central District and Region XI titles while advancing to the NJCAA semifinals. The season culminated with a pair of players garnering NJCAA All-America honors while seven players earned all-region accolades.
Simpson had started his first season as a graduate manager with Nebraska this season before joining the Runnin’ Utes.
Simpson added as Special Assistant to the Head Coach at Utah
