Providence assistant Bob SImon to join Avery Johnson's staff at Alabama

Providence assistant coach Bob Simon will be heading to Alabama to work alongside Avery Johnson, per ESPN's Jeff Goodman.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>Alabama&#39;s Avery Johnson has hired vastly underrated Providence assistant Bob Simon, sources told ESPN. Terrific evaluator, recruiter.</p>&mdash; Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanESPN) <a href="https://twitter.com/GoodmanESPN/status/589873615119712256">April 19, 2015</a></blockquote>

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Simon has been with Ed Cooley for the four years that he has been at Providence, and also worked alongside Cooley at Fairfield. As Goodman notes, Simon was a great recruiter at Providence.

As for replacements, Goodman notes that ex-Wake Forest assistant Jeff Battle could be a candidate. Battle and Cooley are best friends, and Cooley wanted to hire Battle when he originally got the Providence job, but Battle did not want to move his family at that time, due to his kids being in high school.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>Don&#39;t be surprised if Ed Cooley winds up filling Bob Simon&#39;s spot with former Wake assistant Jeff Battle.</p>&mdash; Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanESPN) <a href="https://twitter.com/GoodmanESPN/status/589874169338322944">April 19, 2015</a></blockquote>

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