Cullowhee, N.C. – A former women's basketball student-athlete standout and an athletics administrator at her alma mater, the University of Louisiana at Monroe,
Ashleigh Simmons has been named Associate Athletics Director for Student Success by WCU Director of Athletics
Alex Gary. As a part of WCU Athletics Senior Staff, Simmons will also serve as the Senior Woman Administrator (SWA) for Catamount Athletics, a role she previously held at ULM.
Simmons made the move to Cullowhee in June 2021 as a Transfer Specialist in Western Carolina University's Academic Affairs, assisting WCU Admissions and the Advising Center. She officially takes over WCU's Student Success and the SWA role on July 1, 2022, assuming the position previously held by Stacey R. Miller, who is taking a position across campus at WCU, since the summer of 2013.
"Western Carolina Athletics is proud to welcome Ashleigh to the Catamount Family," said Gary. "Ashleigh is highly-regarded and well respected in our industry and brings outstanding leadership to our academic enhancement program. She is not only committed to the academic success of student-athletes but is passionate about preparing them for life beyond competition. We are extremely fortunate to have Ashleigh on our senior leadership team."
Simmons held a variety of positions at ULM since her 2014 graduation, beginning as a graduate assistant in the ULM Athletic Academic Services office in the Student Success Center where she worked alongside academic counselors in aiding student-athletes. She returned to women's basketball in a director of operations position for two seasons from 2016 through 2018 where she was the team liaison with academics, compliance, business operations, marketing, and ticket operations.
Simmons moved into a more administrative role in July 2018 when she assumed the assistant director of compliance position at ULM in July 2018 before being elevated to Assistant Athletics Director for Compliance and the SWA in January 2019. She also held sport supervision responsibilities for the ULM men's and women's track & field, women's soccer, and softball programs. Simmons was the Athletic Department's advisor for ULM's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and served as the athletics liaison to the Title IX Coordinator.
A first-team All-Sun Belt Conference selection in 2013-14 as a senior, Simmons was a two-year team captain as both a junior and senior. Originally from Hawkins, Texas, the forward became the 17th 1,000-point scorer in ULM program history on Feb. 26, 2014, in a 76-70 win over South Alabama in Monroe. She finished her playing career with 1,040 points.
Simmons earned her Bachelor's degree in psychology with a minor in mathematics from ULM in 2014. She was honored on the Sun Belt Commissioner's List in 2012-13 and 2013-14.
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