After building one of the most successful high school boys’ basketball programs in state history over the past 20 years at St. Paul Johnson, Head Coach Vern Simmons has retired.

A retired officer from the St. Paul Police Department and native of Michigan City, Indiana, Simmons coached the Governors from 2000-2020, leading them to a City Conference championship this past season.

Simmons’ best year came in 2010, when he led Johnson (with players Maxie Rosenbloom, Demetri Conwell, Estan Tyler, Roosevelt Scott, Marcus Marshall, Anthony Lee, Chris Smith-Bond, Donte Warlick, Prince Williams, Jordan Pluff, Xavier Henry, and Xavier Black) to a 32-0 and Class 3A state tournament championship using an 11-man rotation.

Simmons joined the St. Paul City Police Department in 1990, spending most of his career as a school resource officer at Johnson until his retirement in 2017.

Colin Moore, a community and cultural specialist in the St. Paul Public Schools and an assistant coach for Simmons the past decade and a half, will take over the program.