Story Courtesy: Ethan Erdman, USD Assistant Director of Communications
University of South Dakota Head men’s basketball coach Eric Peterson has rounded out his 2025-26 staff with the addition of former USD men’s basketball player Triston Simpson.
“We are thrilled to welcome a familiar name back to the University of South Dakota. His experience playing in the Summit League along with his coaching experiences the last few years will help us immediately. We look forward to the positive impact he will have on our players and in the community,” said Peterson. “Triston understands what it means to be a Coyote, and his passion for the game and for this program make him an incredible addition to our staff.”
Simpson joins the USD staff after spending the 2024-25 season with the University of Utah, where he was named special assistant to the head coach in December 2024. Prior to his time in Salt Lake City, Simpson was in his first season as a graduate manager at the University of Nebraska.
A native of Lincoln, Nebraska, Simpson returned home in 2023-24 to serve as an assistant coach at Indian Hills Community College. In his lone season with the Warriors, he helped lead the team to a 29-6 record, winning both the North Central District and Region XI titles en route to a semifinal appearance in the NJCAA Tournament. Two players earned NJCAA All-America honors, and seven were named All-Region.
Simpson is no stranger to South Dakota, playing in 124 games for the Coyotes from 2016-2020, including two seasons under then-head coach Craig Smith. A two-time All-Summit League selection, Simpson finished his collegiate career with 1,193 points and nearly 400 assists. He averaged double figures in each of his final two seasons, including a career-best 14.0 points per game in 2018-19. During his time in Vermillion, the Coyotes compiled 81 wins and reached the postseason twice, highlighted by a 26-win campaign in 2017-18.
Following his collegiate career, Simpson played professionally overseas for three seasons with stops in Iceland, Argentina, Cyprus, and Estonia.
Simpson earned his bachelor’s degree in sport management from South Dakota in 2020.
