Simon Harris Joins Green’s Staff as Assistant Coach
May 26, 2026 | Women's Basketball
News
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Fighting Illini women's basketball head coach Shauna Green has announced the hiring of Simon Harris as an assistant coach. Harris also worked under Green from 2016-18 at Dayton and both were assistants on Dayton's 2014-15 Elite Eight coaching staff.
"I am so excited to have Simon join our famILLy," shared Green. "Simon is someone who I've known for over 10 years, and he brings a wealth of experience to our team. At Dayton we worked alongside each other as assistant coaches during our Elite Eight run and then he stayed on the staff when I was the head coach. Simon helped us win championships.
"Simon will help us immediately in all aspects of our program," Green continued. "It's always special when you can bring someone that has worked with multiple people on our staff before back to your program. His familiarity with our culture and system will make the transition very smooth. Simon has a broad skill set and is a winner. We can't wait to get to work!"
"What's been built here at Illinois is incredible, and I don't take lightly the chance to be a part of the famILLy," said Harris. "This program continues to make its mark in the Big Ten and reuniting with Coach Green and the rest of the staff feels like coming full circle. I am so blessed and looking forward to helping this program continue to grow!
Most recently, Harris returned to NC State for his second stint as an assistant coach during the 2025-26 campaign.
Prior to that, Harris joined the Loyola Chicago staff as an assistant coach from 2023-25. Harris spent the 2021-22 campaign at ETSU, where he was the head coach.
Harris served as an assistant coach at Ohio State from 2020-21, guiding the Buckeyes into one of the top offensive teams in the country, as OSU ranked ninth in the country in scoring and 20th in pace of play. The Buckeyes went 13-7 during the COVID-impacted season.
During his first stint as an assistant coach at NC State, Harris helped the 2018-19 squad advance to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 and achieve the longest winning streak in program history (21 games) with the best start in a season in school history (21-0). The 2019-20 squad won the 2020 ACC Tournament title, marking the program's first conference tournament championship since 1991. The Wolfpack recorded a 28-4 record (14-4 in ACC) and finished eighth in the AP Top 25, its second straight year ending the season in the top 10 final rankings.
After three years with the Dayton men's basketball team, Harris' first season as an assistant coach on the women's side saw UD go 28-7 and make a run to the 2015 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight. Across his four seasons on the women's side, Harris helped the flyers earn three NCAA Tournament appearances, four postseason berths, and a combined 87-39 record.
Prior to joining Archie Miller 's staff for the 2011-12 season, Harris had stints at Tryon Title, GoTickets.com, and with the Dallas Cowboys during 2010-11. As a marketing executive at Tryon, he was the point of contact with both new and current customers. Harris managed client concerns and helped them navigate race-day issues at GoTickets.com, NASCAR's exclusive ticket provider. He also gave professional football a shot with the Dallas Cowboys, despite not playing the sport in high school or college. Harris attended rookie camp with the Dallas Cowboys in the summer of 2010.
Harris was a two-year letterwinner for the NC State men's basketball team (2007-09) after sitting out one season following his transfer from Elon. He graduated from NC State in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology. Harris then played one season of professional basketball during 2009-10 in Ireland following his collegiate career at NC State. He played for An Cearnog Nua Moycullen near Galway, Ireland.
Originally from Pittsburgh, Harris spent two years at Central Catholic High School before relocating to Raleigh, N.C. Under the direction of coach Scott McInnes, he spent his junior and senior seasons at Millbrook High School. Harris played AAU ball with the Kappa Magic, winning an AAU National Championship with his 2002 squad that included Chris Paul and Reyshawn Terry.
Coaching Career
| Years | School | Position |
|---|---|---|
| May 2026 - Present | Illinois | Assistant Coach |
| 2025-26 | NC State | Assistant Coach |
| 2023-25 | Loyola Chicago | Assistant Coach |
| 2021-22 | ETSU | Head Coach |
| 2020-21 | Ohio State | Assistant Coach |
| 2018-20 | NC State | Assistant Coach |
| 2014-18 | Dayton | Assistant Coach |
| 2011-14 | Dayton | Assistant Coach (Men's Basketball) |
