Dan Simmons, who spent more than four decades as Saints team manager in New Orleans, died on Friday, the team confirmed. He was 78 years old.
Simmons was in St. Louis, his hometown, at the time of his death.
Simmons, who was affectionately called “boss”, was an appreciated member of the organization and supervised team team procedures for 42 years. He retired in 2014. Simmons also spent a decade as students of the Saints and coordinator of Legends.
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(Stephen Lew-USA Today Sports)
Upon retiring, Simmons became the oldest employee in the history of the saints.
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“Our thoughts are with the Elaine family and the Simmons family, since we have suffered a significant loss with Dan’s death. He played an integral role in the daily operations of the team room and the costumes,” says the statement.
“Dan was a proud saint of New Orleans and touched on the lives of thousands of players, coaches and staff members throughout his mandate, making significant contributions to this franchise. We will miss it a lot.”
Simmons served in the Navy and was a veteran of Vietnam.
(Jeff Hanisch-Imagn images)
The former field marshal of the Saints, Archie Manning, described Simmons as “the best”
“Dan was the best, just the best,” said Manning in a statement obtained by Times-Picayune. “He was so kind, sweet and humble. He simply did his job and never sought attention. If everyone had done his job and the boss did when I played, we would have won Super Bowls.”
Caesars Superdome (AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman)
Simmons was present for the combined games of the preseason of the preseason, the regular season and the postseason combined during his time as the main manager of the team team.
He also held the position during the 2009 season when New Orleans defeated the Indianapolis Colts to win the first Super Bowl title in the history of the franchise.
Simmons survives his wife, Elaine, his three children and four grandchildren.
