Second Chance at Simpson

First-year Head Football Coach Reed Hoskins was a highly coveted recruit coming out of Grinnell High School. Hoskins had Simpson in his sights for a long time, but unforeseen developments ultimately led him to pass on the Storm for a rival school. Twenty years later, as fate would have it, Simpson recruited him again —this time to become the Storm’s new head coach. And this time, he didn’t slip away.

“I remember visiting here with Coach Williams when I was in high school,” said Hoskins, about his recruiting visits with Simpson’s late legendary coach. “I have vivid memories of him and hearing his gruff voice when we chatted in his office. In a lot of ways, I thought this seemed like home — the right spot for me.”

But Hoskins’ game plan changed during his senior year of high school, when Williams announced his retirement from Simpson. He opted for Wartburg College, where he became a star quarterback.

Following his graduation in 2006, Hoskins’ coaching journey took him to North Carolina Wesleyan, St. Cloud State, Wartburg, Wisconsin-LaCrosse, and most recently Illinois Wesleyan, where he served seven seasons as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

His hiring as head coach at Simpson last December drew widespread praise, including from current players.

“I knew from the first time he interviewed that he was the guy for the job,” said linebacker Zach Truitt ’25. “I have loved everything that he has offered the team — the positivity, the energy, the encouragement.”

As Simpson’s 34th head coach, Hoskins seeks to restore a winning culture while creating vital campus, alumni and community relationships. When it comes to recruitment, he’s looking for talented and academically motivated student-athletes who are fully committed to team ideals.

“We want guys that fit in our locker room and value the same things,” said Hoskins. “We want people who want to build lifelong relationships with teammates after being in the trenches together. Some of my best friends from college are guys I’ve seen a bunch here in the last 10 months because I live a lot closer to them now and we still have those relationships. That’s what I want for our student-athletes.”

Hoskins also seeks to ensure his players develop a deeper sense of belonging and bond to generations of Simpson alumni who built the program’s rich history.

“He’s brought back Simpson alumni to speak to us about their days in the program, what they went through and how they overcame it,” said linebacker Wyatt Schaben ’24. “It’s been a great way to show us the past, how we got here, and what we could become in the future.”

And indeed, there have been encouraging signs of resurgence in Hoskins’ first season. The Storm picked up three wins this year, including a pair of games that featured 55+ points of production.

“We are going to move forward the right way and do it with class,” said Hoskins. “I’m really proud of some of the positive steps we’ve taken already this year.”