Ed Simonich

Edward F. "Big Ed" Simonich (January 11, 1916 – August 22, 1965) was an American college football player and coach, college basketball coach, track and field coach, athletics administrator, and educator.^[1] He served as the head football coach at Carroll College in Helena, Montana from 1939 to 1941 and the Montana State School of Mines—now known as Montana Technological University—from 1957 to 1964. Simonich played football at the University of Notre Dame under coach Elmer Layden.^[2] He was selected in the 19th round of the 1939 NFL draft.^[3]

Ed Simonich

Biographical details
Born	(1916-01-11)January 11, 1916 Ironwood, Michigan, U.S.
Died	August 22, 1965(1965-08-22) (aged 49) Butte, Montana, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1935–1938	Notre Dame
Position(s)	Fullback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1939–1941	Carroll (MT)
1945–1946	Butte Central Catholic HS (MT)
1947–1949	Trinity HS (IA)
1950–1954	Bishop Heelan Catholic HS (IA)
1955–1956	Butte Central Catholic HS (MT)
1957–1964	Montana Mines
Basketball
1939–1944	Carroll (MT)
1944–1947	Butte Central Catholic HS (MT)
1957–1965	Montana Mines
Track and field
1939–1944	Carroll (MT)
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1944–1947	Butte Central Catholic HS (MT)
1947–1950	Trinity HS (IA)
1950–1955	Bishop Heelan Catholic HS (IA)
1957–1965	Montana Mines
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Football 2 MCC (1940–1941) 1 MCC Lower Division (1964) Basketball 2 MCC (1942–1943) Track and field 2 MCC (1940)

Simonich led the Carroll Fighting Saints football team to consecutive Montana Collegiate Conference (MCC) titles, in 1940 and 1941. He also coached basketball and track at Carroll, leading his track team to a MCC championship in 1940 and his basketball teams to back-to-back MCC titles, in 1942 and 1943.^[4] In November 1944, Simonich was hired as the athletic director at Boy's Central High School—now known as Butte Central Catholic High School—in Butte, Montana.^[5] In 1947, he left Montana to become the athletic director head football coach at Trinity High School in Sioux City, Iowa.^[6] Three years later, in 1950, he took on the same role at the newly-opened Bishop Heelan Catholic High School, also in Sioux City. In 1955, he returned to Butte Central Catholic High School as head football coach.^[7] In 1955, Simonich was hired as athletic director, coach, and assistant professor at Montana Mines, succeeding Ralph Olsen.^[8][9] At Montana Mines, Simonich also coached basketball, baseball, track, wrestling, ice hockey, tennis, and golf and was director of intramural sports.^[10]

Simonich was born on January 11, 1916, in Ironwood, Michigan. He died on August 22, 1965, after suffering from cancer.^[11][12]

Head coaching record

College football

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs
Carroll Fighting Saints (Montana Collegiate Conference) (1939–1941)
1939	Carroll	3–4	2–1	2nd
1940	Carroll	5–2		1st
1941	Carroll	5–0–1		1st
Carroll:		13–6–1
Montana Mines Orediggers (Montana Collegiate Conference) (1957–1964)
1957	Montana Mines	0–6	0–1	5th
1958	Montana Mines		0–5	6th
1959	Montana Mines		0–5	6th
1960	Montana Mines		0–5	6th
1961	Montana Mines		0–4–1	6th
1962	Montana Mines		1–4	5th
1963	Montana Mines		1–4	T–2nd (Lower)
1964	Montana Mines		2–2–1	1st (Lower)
Montana Mines:			4–30–2
Total:
National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

College basketball

Statistics overview

Season	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Postseason
Carroll Fighting Saints (Montana Collegiate Conference) (1939–1944)
1939–40	Carroll	8–11	7–8
1940–41	Carroll	3–14	3–12
1941–42	Carroll	15–2	13–2	1st
1942–43	Carroll	9–3	9–3
1943–44	Carroll	11–2
Carroll:		46–32	32–25
Total:
National champion         Postseason invitational champion         Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion       Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion       Conference tournament champion

^[13]