How UT Martin coach Jason Simpson tracks son, Alabama football QB Ty Simpson on game day
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Include Alabama football quarterback Ty Simpson with the others who heckled Jason Simpson, his father and the UT Martin football coach, after Jason’s team won at Eastern Illinois on Nov. 1.
Ty Simpson was happy the Skyhawks won 27-20 in overtime, but not pleased with the way they went about it.
He was particularly upset with a trick play his father called that was similar to one the No. 4 Crimson Tide ran on Oct. 25 against South Carolina.
Alabama plays Eastern Illinois on Nov. 22 and Ty Simpson worried his teammates, who will watch video of the UT Martin game, would tease him about his father being a copycat coach.
“I talked to Ty Saturday on the way home from Eastern Illinois,” Jason Simpson said. “And he was like, ‘I can’t believe one week after we run that play, you run the same play.'”
Jason was quick to throw a flag on his son’s accusation. Jason has been the coach at UT Martin for 20 years. Only four coaches in the FCS or FBS have been at their current schools longer, and he is beyond having to mimic what others do.
“I had to remind him, ‘You’re wrong,’ ” Jason said. ” ‘Go back and look at UT Martin versus Southeast Missouri last year. We ran that play before you guys did. I didn’t copy you; that just happened to be in the game plan this week.’ “
Ty Simpson was integral in the play when Alabama ran it. The offense lined up in the Wildcat formation where running back Daniel Hill took a direct snap with Simpson lined up next to him. Hill handed to Simpson, who faked a reverse to Ryan Williams, and tossed a pass to Josh Cuevas in the end zone for a two-point conversion.
Jason Simpson is Ty Simpson’s father first, then a coach
With Alabama (7-1, 5-0 SEC) off on Nov. 1 it was a rare Saturday where Jason Simpson didn’t have to juggle coaching UT Martin (4-5, 4-1), which is in second place in the Big South/OVC and set to host Tennessee State (2-7, 0-5) on Nov. 8, and keeping tabs on Ty at Alabama.
Jason makes no apologies for his interest in his son, a favorite to be a Heisman Trophy finalist and a candidate to be the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
“I’m still a dad first and foremost,” Jason said. “I try to keep up with (Ty) as good as I can and then go back later and watch his games. We’re very blessed that I get to do something that I’m passionate about and I love and he gets to do the same thing.”
How Jason Simpson coaches while keeping tabs on Ty Simpson
Jason used to depend his younger son, Graham Simpson, to update him on Ty when Alabama and UT Martin games were at the same time. Graham would stand next to his father on the sideline while watching Alabama on his phone.
Graham, however, isn’t around as much since he’s developed into one of the nation’s top sophomore quarterback prospects at Westview High in Martin and the No. 9 quarterback in the country per the 247Sports Composite for the class of 2028. He is more likely to attend a game at a college he is considering, or go to the Alabama game. The Crimson Tide are one of the at least 17 schools that have offered Graham.
So, Jason figured out another way to watch Ty. UT Martin has pods on one end of the stadium that are rented to fans, who enjoy tailgating during the game. Most pods have big screen TVs and Jason always knows which one has the Alabama game on.
“In the OVC it seems like we have 27 media timeouts; there’s always clock stoppage,” Jason said. “When I get on that end where the pods are, my friends are in them make sure I can see the television.”
Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on X @MikeOrganWriter.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: How Ty Simpson’s father Jason, the UT Martin coach, tracks son on game day
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