Bret grew up as a multi-sport athlete in Franklin, Massachusetts and played club, high school, college, a brief stint of professional soccer and represented the United States in the Maccabiah Games. He coached at camps and youth programs throughout the country starting during his high school and college days. Eventually, he joined the coaching staff at Berry College as an assistant for the men’s soccer program, worked in athletic administration and completed his MBA. Bret stayed at Berry for 13 years, eventually becoming Head Coach, Athletics Director and a Lecturer in the Department of Health and Physical Education.

Bret decided to stick with his passion for coaching and moved to Omaha, Nebraska to initially assist a new Division I program, Creighton University. Two years later he was named Men’s Head Coach and Program Director for Men’s and Women’s Soccer for the Bluejays where he led the college program to six consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. In 2001 Bret moved to the Bay Area to lead the men’s soccer program at Stanford. During his time at Creighton and Stanford, four of Bret’s teams made the College Cup (Soccer’s version of the NCAA Final Four). Bret was named Conference Coach of the Year numerous times and National Coach of the Year by ESPN. During his college coaching stints, Bret was also a regional Olympic Development coach for the South, North and West regions, coaching dozens of future professional players in ODP and with his college teams.

Since that time Bret has served as the All-School’s Athletics Director at Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton, a trainer for the Positive Coaching Alliance and in a variety of roles in local youth soccer clubs including coach, technical director and board member prior to being named as Executive Director for Alpine Strikers and now the Stanford Strikers. Bret holds a United States Soccer Federation A License, Director of Coaching Diploma, Sports Performance Diploma and has been a staff member for both the USSF and United Soccer Coaches national coaching education programs.

Bret is part of a sports-crazy family. His wife Pam is one of the all-time great basketball players in Creighton University history and a member of the Creighton Athletics Hall of Fame along with Bret. Their sons, Ben and Jake, played for Strikers as youth players and eventually had outstanding college playing careers. Both are pursuing coaching and sports administration, making their own mark on future generations of soccer players. The Simons enjoy time together, supporting their favorite teams and spoiling their Australian Labradoodle, Frankie!