Connor Simmons is leaving big shoes to fill at Cascade High School.

Simmons, after leading the Cadets to a Class 3A state championship in football, stepped down as coach to take an administrative role at another Indiana high school, pending school board approval.

Simmons led Cascade to a 15-0 season, winning the program’s first sectional title since 1992 and first regional title in program history with a 37-33 win at Lawrenceburg. The Cadets then defeated Gibson Southern in the semistate and Fort Wayne Luers in the state championship to claim the program’s first state title in football and in a boys’ sport.

“For the last 6 years I have dedicated every ounce of energy to Cascade football and after much consideration and reflection with my family, I made the difficult decision to hang up the whistle and step down as the head football coach and teacher at Cascade High School following the school year,” Simmons said on his social media account. “I will be pursuing a step up into an administrative role pending school board approval at an Indiana high school. This program has meant more to me than I can ever fully put into words. The relationships, offseasons, Friday nights, wins, losses and everything in between, they are all memories that I will have and cherish for the rest of my life.”

Simmons, a former standout quarterback at New Palestine, was 43-26 overall in his six seasons at Cascade. After losing seasons his first two years, Cascade went 6-5 in 2022 for its first winning seasons in nine years, then posted winning seasons each of the next three years.

Cascade football is moving down to 2A for the next two-year classification cycle due to its enrollment.

Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA football: Simmons moving into new role after leading program to state title