The Fellowship of Christian Athletes is honored to
announce Harding University head football coach Paul Simmons as the 2026 Frosty
Westering Coach of the Year Award recipient.
Named after Forrest “Frosty”
Westering, former Pacific Lutheran University football coach,
College Football Hall of Fame inductee and passionate spokesperson and
ambassador for FCA, the Coach of the Year Award presented by FCA
recognizes a football coach who exemplifies Christian principles as well as the
involvement and support of FCA while coaching a non-Division I
institution. The award is also based on the success and performance of the
coach’s team that season.
“Coach Simmons’ love
for the Lord and commitment to putting Jesus first in his life are just two of
the many reasons why he exemplifies the legacy of ‘Frosty’ Westering,” said FCA
President and CEO Shane Williamson. “He demonstrates this in his family life
and church community, as well as how he leads his football players on and off
the field.”
Coach Simmons desires for his
players to have a relationship with God more than he does winning games. The
motto of the Harding program is “Honor God,” which was started by the head
coach before him, Coach Ronnie Huckeba. Coach Simmons has carried on this motto
with daily consistency.
“The foundation of Harding
football and the goal on day one of fall camp is very simple — We are on a
mission to try to have the very best culture in all of college football,” said
Simmons. “Here at Harding, we define having the ‘best culture’ by doing everything
in our power to do things in a manner that will Honor God. We believe that the
following things honor God: extreme loyalty, high accountability, spirit of
selflessness, spirit of gratefulness, tremendous work ethic and an
understanding that true leadership is about washing feet. Any part of our
program or any set of behaviors that is outside the goal of ‘Honoring God’ has
to be eliminated. We fully embrace the opportunity to partner with FCA
at every opportunity as we seek to do things in a manner that truly will Honor
God.”
A father of four boys who
played football for Coach Simmons shared, “The Christian culture and
brotherhood Coach Simmons has built has been an incredible rite of passage for
my boys to become dedicated Christian men that battle for something bigger than
themselves. Coach Simmons’ culture is one of the few cultures left for
young men to accomplish a Biblical pursuit of manhood in an authentic way.”
Andrew Miller, Harding
University football player, remarked, “He always gathers us together as a team
at the beginning of each practice to motivate us, challenge us and to make sure
we don’t get complacent. Coach Simmons brings elite energy to
practice every day, showing us by example how to be elite players and men. It’s
more than just winning games with Coach Simmons; he wants us to win in life.”
Since coaching at Harding
University, Coach Simmons has complied a record of 85-15. In 2023, Harding
University won the NCAA DII National Championship under Simmons’ leadership,
the university’s first-ever NCAA national title in any sport. Harding University
also went to the Great American Conference Championships 2021, 2023 and 2024.
In addition to his
outstanding coaching accomplishments, Coach Simmons has
always given North Central FCA access to his program. In 2021,
Harding Football Game Day was started, consisting of a Worship Rally prior to
the game. Coach Simmons always provides all of the student athletes with free
admission to the game and a tailgating spot at Bison Park. He also allows His
players to serve and speak at local FCA Huddles.
“Being honored with the
FCA Frosty Westering Football Coach of the Year Award is without a doubt
the highest professional honor of my coaching career,” said Simmons. “I have
always had a great desire for my coaching legacy to be centered around my
desire to help my young men know Christ and ultimately to be in heaven with
them someday. Memories of win totals and championships won, those things fade
extremely quickly. However, a legacy of modeling Christ to generations of young
men is worth more than silver and gold. This truly is the highest honor that I
could ever hope to receive. Incredibly grateful to be honored in this manner.”
-FCA-
Photos courtesy of Harding University Athletics