By T. Scott Boatright
Lincoln Preparatory School has announced the new leadership for its athletics department and football team, with Johnny Simmsons being named Interim Athletics Director and Chaunce Davision taking over as Interim Head Football Coach for the Panthers.
Those two fill the void left by the dismissal of Glen Hall, who held both roles at Lincoln Prep, earlier this week.
“Both of these outstanding leaders bring a wealth of experience, deep-rooted dedication, and a passion for developing student-athletes both on and off the field,” said Lincoln Prep Acting CEO/Executive Director Crystal Washington.
Simmons, who is in his third year at Lincoln Prep as an assistant basketball coach/special education teacher, is no stranger to the area as a former assistant coach for the Louisiana Tech men’s basketball team and head coach at Union Parish (Farmerville) High School and Bernice High School.
His high school career coaching record stands at 365 wins and 175 losses with six district Coach of the Year Awards, five district championships and a State-Runner-up title in 2013.
Simmons has also served as an assistant coach at Southern and Louisiana-Lafayette universities and has more than 32 years of coaching experience overall with an extensive background in player development, recruiting, and program management.
“Those skills will be instrumental in advancing our athletic department, ensuring our student-athletes have the resources and mentorship needed to thrive,” Washington said. “ His proven leadership at both the high school and collegiate levels speaks volumes about his ability to foster excellence in sports and academics.”
As a college assistant Simmons signed two nationally ranked recruiting classes and recruited three conference Freshman of the Year honorees.
Davison has served as an assistant football coach since returning to Lincoln Prep in 2016, initially coaching the offensive and defensive lines before serving the last two years as defensive coordinator.
A graduate of Grambling High School, where he played from 1994 to 1997 under the guidance of Greg “Big Coach” Williams, Davison attended LSU and graduated from Grambling State with a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and a Master’s degree in Sports Management.
Davison served an internship under late Coach Billy Laird and Ruston High School before taking over as offensive line coach at Union Christian Academy in Farmerville from 2010 to 2012 before moving on to serve as offensive line coach at Lake Providence (General Trass) High School from 2012 to 2014.
He then served in that same role at Tioga High School before joining Lincoln Prep when that school opened in 2016.
“Coach Davison’s unwavering commitment to Lincoln Prep and his ability to cultivate talent and discipline within our football program make him an exceptional choice to lead our team,” Washington said. “His years of experience, strategic mindset, and devotion to our student-athletes will undoubtedly propel our football program to new heights.
“Congratulations to Coach Simmons and Coach Davison — we are confident that your leadership will leave a lasting impact on our school and our student-athletes for years to come.”
