Sept. 18, 2002

Charleston, SC - Citadel Director of Athletics Les Robinson announced Wednesday afternoon the current assistant tennis coach Toby Simpson was promoted to head coach.

"Toby has proven himself to be a hard worker and a solid coach in his short time here at The Citadel," Robinson stated. "He has done a superb job in recruiting and training our players to compete in the very tough Southern Conference. Over the past year and a half he has shown that he has all the tools necessary to be a successful coach here."

Simpson, a former collegiate standout at Southern Mississippi, replaces former Citadel head coach Mike Groshon at the helm of the Bulldogs' tennis program. Groshon, the 2000 Southern Conference Co-Coach of the Year retired from his duties as the head coach to focus on his other responsibilities in the department. Simpson served as an assistant under Groshon for one season.

"This is a great opportunity for Toby and one that is well deserved," Groshon stated. "He is a tremendously hard worker and has a vast knowledge of the game and should be very successful at The Citadel."

A native of Baton Rouge, LA, Simpson graduated from Southern Mississippi in 1998 and received his master's degree from USM in the spring of 2000. While completing requirements for his master's, he served as the graduate assistant coach for the Golden Eagles for two seasons.

A talented collegiate player, Simpson was a three-time All-Conference USA selection and was a member of the first-ever team in school history to advance to the NCAA tournament.

Simpson also served as the assistant coach for two seasons at Penn State before joining The Citadel's tennis program in the fall of 2001.