North Park University Athletics

The 2019-2020 season will be the second for Head M/W Track & Field Coach Daniel Simpson.

A native of Leetonia, Ohio, Simpson spent the last six years transforming the Men's & Women's Cross Country programs at nearby Lake Forest College. Prior to Simpson's arrival, the Forester men finished in the top five of the Midwest Conference (MWC) just once in their 17 seasons of existence. The women – twice. Simpson's six seasons saw the men finish thrice inside the MWC's top three, including four consecutive trips into the top five, while the women are currently on a streak of finishing fifth or better five seasons in a row from 2013 to present. 

Of the ten Midwest Conference men's and women's cross country programs, Lake Forest College is one of only three that can boast both genders finishing inside the top five each of the last four seasons. 

As individuals, Simpson's runners quite literally re-wrote the record book at Lake Forest during his tenure. Spanning just six of the program's 23 years of existence, his Forester men currently account for the 12 fastest eight kilometer times in program history - and all but one of the top 25 all-time. His women own the top 16 fastest six kilometer races in program history and 22 of the fastest 25. Forester men had run to six all-conference accolades (top 20 finish at the MWC Cross Country Championships) prior to his arrival and in his short stint they doubled that number with 13. Similarly, Forester women had tallied ten all-conference awards in the 17 season prior and nine in just six years under Simpson's guidance. 

While Simpson's cross country teams reached unprecedented success, inarguably his most meaningful contribution to Lake Forest College Athletics was spearheading the creation of its' first ever NCAA-sponsored indoor and outdoor distance track programs. While Lake Forest previously offered track as a men's-only varsity sport up until discontinuing the program in 1973, at no point in its' history was it NCAA-sponsored. Officially announced in December of 2016, the recently completed 2018 indoor and outdoor campaign was the inaugural season – culminating with freshman Darrian Lockett winning the first-ever individual Midwest Conference track & field title for the college in the men's 800 meter run. 

Prior to Lake Forest, Simpson served at the University of Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio, where he was an assistant men's and women's cross country and track & field coach from January of 2010 through July of 2012. 

The Mount Union indoor and outdoor track & field teams combined for six Ohio Athletic Conference titles in Simpson's three seasons on staff, including the program's first-ever sweep of the Ohio Athletic Conference outdoor track & field championships in 2011 and a repeat performance in 2012. With a third-place finish at the 2012 NCAA division III outdoor championships, the Purple Raider women's track & field team made the first podium (top four) appearance in program history. 

Before Mount Union, Simpson was an assistant cross country and track & field coach for a total of three years at Defiance College and NCAA Division II Augusta University. 

Simpson graduated from Heidelberg University with a bachelor's degree in Psychology and English Literature in 2007. While at Heidelberg he finished among the top three in the Ohio Athletic Conference cross country meet his junior and senior seasons and helped lead the Berg to the NCAA Division III National Cross Country Championships both years. He also finished his track & field career as Heidelberg's school record-holder in the 5000 meter run outdoors.