After posting back-to-back 1-9 seasons, football Head Coach Matt Jeter has officially resigned as of this past Monday. The move comes following the season-closing 26-21 loss to the Buena Vista Beavers on Nov. 12.

The 2018 A-R-C Coach of the Year was a 1998 alum of the college and coached the Storm for seven seasons.

The Simpson community was made aware of the situation through a campus-wide email that was sent out Monday evening. Although Jeter was the only coach mentioned, no other assistant coach has had their contract extended.

“I had mixed emotions at the start. Sad to leave Simpson under these circumstances,” outgoing Defensive Coordinator and Assistant Coach George Love said. “Coach Jeter has been awesome to me, he’s the reason I took this job.”

Love recognizes the coaches’ impact on the community as well as the team.

“We all had an impact on the community in various ways. Half of our staff are alums. They always wanted to give back and help the institution and community that helped them become who they are today. Personally, I wanted to be a voice in the community but especially be a voice for students as a whole,” Love said.

Since his resignation, Jeter took to Facebook and said, “Storm football players- I’m forever grateful to pour into you daily! Thanks for the memories- Now go impact the world! Best regards, Coach Jete.”

Simpson College’s Athletic Director, Marty Bell, has declined to make any further statement at this time, stating that the email that was sent out contains all the information the school is willing to provide at this point in time. 

All current football players have also declined to comment.

An anonymous football alum who played from 2018-2021 under Jeter said that the staff purging was the right move for all who were involved.

“There had been a downward trend in not only wins but also just the overall culture within the program as a whole,” the player said. “The team was used to losing…being used to losing is the worst thing you can have for a program. Personally, I don’t think there was anything the coaches could’ve done.”

A departing coach who also wishes to remain anonymous echoed these sentiments.

“The resources are not in place for the football program to compete for conference championships every year,” the coach said. “There are infrastructural issues within the college that prevent continued high-level success, especially in sports that have a need for a lot of student-athletes.”

This coach described the football coaching staff as a tight-knit group, saying that each coach knew each other’s family and that it wouldn’t be out of place to have the families at practices and in the offices in the summer.

The unnamed coach recognizes that a new foundation will inevitably need to be built. “If they [the team] stay together and buy into the philosophy and plan of the new head coach, they will be successful. That being said, if they fracture, it will be tough to continue building the foundation for success,” he said.

The graduated player, who wishes to remain anonymous, has since connected Jeter’s resignation and staff purge to the recent addition of Athletic Director Marty Bell, who has been with the school for nearly two full years.

“Marty is passionate about not only football, but all programs. He got more done in two years than anyone did in the last 20. Unfortunately, the coaching staff just got caught in the crossfire as they were losing right when he got here,” he said.

As was stated in the email sent to all of campus on Monday, the Storm will begin an immediate national search for a new head coach.

“We appreciate all that Coach Jeter has done for the football program and Simpson College,” AD Bell said in the aforementioned email. “We wish him well in his future endeavors.”