Colorado School of Mines Athletics

Brittany Simpson became the winningest coach in the history of Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball at the start of her ninth season on Dec. 4, 2020 in a 68-53 win over South Dakota Mines inside Lockridge Arena. The 2024-25 season marked Coach Simpson's 13th season as the head coach for the Orediggers.
 
Over the past 13 campaigns, Simpson has won over 200 games (231-139) and guided Mines' women to the first three RMAC titles in program history (2015-16, 2020-21, 2021-22). Simpson's tenure also includes a streak of nine consecutive campaigns with at least 17 victories - all winning seasons - as well as three straight 20-win seasons for the first time in program history. Each of Simpson's 13 teams have earned double-digit wins. She has led the Orediggers to 10 RMAC Tournament appearances including nine straight from 2015-16 to 2023-24. Not only is Simpson is responsible for Mines’ first three RMAC Women’s Basketball titles, she also oversaw the program's second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth selections to the NCAA Tournament (2015-16, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24) including the top seed in the NCAA West Region in 2020-21. Simpson is a three-time RMAC Coach of the Year (2015-16, 2020-21. 2021-22) and touts the most wins, best winning percentage and best winning percentage in a season by any coach in program history. She also directed the Orediggers to their highest final national ranking in 2020-21, sitting 21st in the coaches' poll (WBCA) and 17th in the media poll (D2SIDA).
 
As head coach, Simpson has helped her players earn a total of 37 All-RMAC awards including 16 first-team selections, 11 second-team honorees, one third-teamer and nine honorable mention performers She also coached the 2019-20 RMAC Player of the Year, RMAC Academic Player of the Year and Summit Award winner Denali Pinto,  the 2021-22 RMAC Defensive Player of the Year Ashley Steffeck and 2022-23 RMAC Defensive Player of the Year Sammy Van Sickle. Pinto was also named the Colorado Sportswoman of the Year for college basketball during the 2020-21 season. Additionally, Simpson oversaw the development of 2013-14 RMAC Freshman of the Year Laura Tyree and 2018-19 RMAC Freshman of the Year Denali Pinto. Eight of Mines’ 13 1,000-point scorers have surpassed the milestone under Simpson’s watch including Angie Charchalis (1,414) in 2013, Taylor Helbig (1,088) in 2015, Laura Tyree (1,175) in 2017, Emily Bailey (1,070) in 2018, Denali Pinto (1,652) in 2021, Courtney Stanton (1,094) in 2022, Ashley Steffeck (1,691) in 2023, and Sammy Van Sickle (1,018) in 2023. Simpson's 2024-25 campaign finished with an overall record of 12-16 while going 10-10 in conference play. The highlight of the season was a 92-88 upset of defending national champion and #9-ranked Minnesota State on Nov. 29 at Lockridge Arena. Jenna Siebert was named First-Team All-RMAC after producing five games of 30 points or more while also breaking the program's single-game scoring record with 40 against Chadron State. Siebert also broke the program record for made field goals in a season and wrote her name nine times in the program record book. It followed a 2023-24 campaign in which Ashley Steffeck arguably became the best player in program history and the first Oredigger - man or woman - with 400 assists and 400 steals in a career.
 
Simpson guided the Orediggers to their greatest season in the history of the program in 2021-22. Mines finished the season 25-6 overall while going 19-3 in league play on the way to a secon straight RMAC Regular Season Championship, the third in program history. The Orediggers were eventually announced as the seventh seed in the South Central Region for the 2022 NCAA Tournament where they faced second-seeded and #7-ranked Texas A&M-Commerce in Canyon, Texas. While Mines eventually fell to the Lady Lions by a score of 80-74, history had already been made. Simpson's 2021-22 squad broke the program records for most wins in a season (25), highest scoring average (71.7ppg), largest margin of victory (79) and single-game points scored (108) while tying the records for most RMAC wins in a season (19) and longest winning streak (13). Across NCAA Division II, the Orediggers ranked second in steals per game, third in total steals, third in turnover margin, eighth in turnovers forced, ninth in scoring defense and scoring margin, 11th in offensive rebounds per game 14th in assist-to-turnover ration and 21st in total assists. Mines rose as high as eighth in the D2SIDA Media Poll which marked the highest national ranking in program history. Individually, Denali Pinto became Mines' all-time leading scorer (1,652) and tied the single-game scoring mark 38), and Ashley Steffeck broke the single-game (14) and single-season (123) steals record while leading the nation in total steals and steals per game among numerous other edits to the program record book. Awards included RMAC Coach of the Year for Simpson, RMAC Defensive Player of the Year for Steffeck, First-Team All-RMAC for Pinto and Sammy Van Sickle, Second-Team All-RMAC for Courtney Stanton and Steffeck. Pinto was also voted D2CCA All-Region.

The second-greatest season in program history came during the 2020-21 campaign. Despite adversity surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, Simpson's Orediggers finished the season 17-3 overall with a 14-3 mark in league play which brought home Mines' second-ever RMAC title. The 2020-21 squad set program records for best overall record and top defense by fewest points against average at 55.0 ppg. The Orediggers rose as high as 14th in the D2SIDA Media Poll before closing the year ranked 17th by the media and 21st by the coaches - all of which marked the highest national rankings in program history to date. Simpson's guidance also helped Mines garner the #1 seed in the NCAA West Region Tournament before a premature ending to the season. Statistically, the Orediggers ranked seventh in NCAA Division II in total steals (245), ninth in scoring defense (55.0 ppg), 11th in steals per game (12.2) and turnover margin (6.75), 18th in offensive rebounds per game (15.8) and 24th in fewest turnovers per game (13.4). Individually, Denali Pinto was named First-Team All-RMAC, Courtney Stanton and Sammy Van Sickle earned Second-Team All-RMAC distinction, and Liz Holter and Ashley Steffeck were Honorable Mention All-RMAC after Steffeck finished the season ranked fourth in the nation in total steals and steals per game.

Simpson's first historic season at the helm was the 2015-16 campaign. Mines finished 21-7 overall with a 19-3 mark in league play which brought home the first-ever outright RMAC Championship. The 2015-16 team set program records for wins (21), conference victories (19) and consecutive victories (13). Mines also advanced to its second-ever NCAA Tournament. On the national stage, the Orediggers were third in all of NCAA Division II in field goal percentage defense (33.5%), fifth in rebound margin (9.7) and sixth in rebounds per game (46.89). They led the RMAC in all those categories as well as blocked shots per game (4.0), total rebound (1,313) and offensive rebounds per game (15). The 2015-16 season also brought about two First-Team All-RMAC performers in Courtney Martin and Laura Tyree while Anna Kollmorgen was named to the All-RMAC Honorable Mention team.
 
Before taking over as head coach in April 2013, Simpson (formerly Rowley) served as an assistant coach at Mines from 2008-12. During her time as an assistant, Simpson mentored individuals to eight all-conference awards. She also was a member of the coaching staff that took Mines to its first-ever NCAA Tournament in 2009-10, at that time establishing the program record of 20 wins and equaling the top mark for conference wins with 14. Additionally, Simpson played a role in the development of two other 1,000-point scorers in Emily Dalton (1,403) and Brecca Gaffney (2006-11).
 
Prior to her arrival at Mines, Simpson was a graduate assistant at UCCS during the 2006-07 season. She also served as the assistant director of the Colorado School of Mines Women’s Basketball camps for four season and also served in a coaching role at the University of Colorado Individual Camp in 2011. On top of that, Simpson served as assistant director/lead coach at the UCCS Women’s Basketball Camp in 2007 and lead coach at the Mesa State Individual Camp in 2005-06.
 
As a player, Simpson was a standout at Mesa State (now Colorado Mesa) from 2002-06. She earned six RMAC All-Academic awards and two All-RMAC selections, including Second-Team All-RMAC West Division in 2005. The two-time team captain ranked 12th in NCAA Division II in three-point field goal percentage in 2005-06 (.421) and 21st in 2004-05 (.404). She finished her career as the Mavericks’ career free-throw percentage leader at 89.1 percent (98-110), a record that stands to this day.
 
A native of Green River, Wyoming, Simpson earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Mesa State in 2006 and a MBA from UCCS in 2007. She and her husband Patrick reside in Littleton with their daughters Sawyer and Sloan.