Johns Hopkins University Athletics introduced Joshua Simon as the Faculty-Coach for the Blue Jay Women’s Lacrosse Team in a Sept. 25, 2026, Q&A. Simon is an associate professor of political science at Johns Hopkins and will serve as an honorary member of the coaching staff while providing academic support for the team’s scholar-athletes.
The Johns Hopkins Department of Athletics debuted its Faculty-Coach initiative during the 2025-26 academic year. The initiative is designed to create relationships between academic affairs and athletics and support Johns Hopkins scholar-athletes.
Joshua Simon’s Role With Johns Hopkins Women’s Lacrosse
Faculty Coaches serve as additional support people for scholar-athletes, answering academic questions and helping direct them to available Johns Hopkins resources. The initial commitment is two years, with an option to extend, and Faculty Coaches may attend games, practices and team events as their schedules allow.
Simon said a student or students in one of his classes nominated him for the program. He is in his sixth year at Johns Hopkins after earning a bachelor’s degree from Reed College and a doctorate from Yale University.
“I am just trying to be a familiar face at games so that the team will feel comfortable coming to me with academic questions,” Simon said.
Simon said his wife played lacrosse in high school and his daughters, who are in sixth and seventh grade, currently play the sport. He said his family already watched the Johns Hopkins women’s lacrosse team before he became involved with the program.
Simon Discusses His Athletic Background and Academic Goals
Simon said surfing is his favorite sport and described it as a way of life. He grew up in Colorado, played basketball when he was young, participated in skiing and road cycling, and stopped road cycling after a crash broke his femur.
Simon said he hopes to become a familiar point of contact for players with questions about classes, majors and ideas connected to their coursework. He also said he has been impressed by the work ethic he sees from athletes in both academic and athletic settings.
“As noted above, I just hope that by being present at games and by being a fan of the team I can be a natural and familiar point of contact for any players that want to discuss academic questions93 whether those be mundane questions about which classes and what major, or more profound ones like what else can I read about this idea I encountered in class or about what is happening in the world,” Simon said.
Simon said it was fun to watch the team make a deep run in the playoffs last year. He also shared that he owns a 2016 Honda Odyssey.
Upcoming Johns Hopkins Women’s Lacrosse Schedule
The Johns Hopkins women’s lacrosse schedule lists a game against North Carolina on Oct. 3, 2026, at 1 p.m. It also lists games against South Florida and Pittsburgh on Oct. 18, 2026, with both start times marked TBA.
Maryland Sports Blog Take
Joshua Simon’s appointment gives the Blue Jay Women’s Lacrosse Team an additional academic support resource through Johns Hopkins University’s Faculty-Coach initiative. His stated goal of serving as a familiar point of contact reflects the program’s purpose of connecting academic affairs and athletics.
The two-year initial commitment, which includes an option to extend, provides a defined period for Simon to support the team’s scholar-athletes and become involved with the program.
Source: Original report
