This story has been updated to reflect a change in venue by Michigan.

The University of Michigan will host a celebratory tribute of the life of legendary former women's track and field coach Kenneth "Red" Simmons on Thursday.

Simmons, the university's first women's track and field coach, died Friday at the age of 102.

The event will run from noon to approximately 1:30 p.m. at the Junge Family Champions Center and will be open to the public. It is being organized by Saline High School golf coach Debbie Williams-Hoak, who was coached by Simmons during her time as a student-athlete at Michigan.

"He was an unbelievable guy," Williams-Hoak said. "He accomplished so many things in his life, and he was just unbelievable."

Simmons started the Michigammes women's running club in Ann Arbor in 1960, and was eventually hired as Michigan's first women's track coach in 1976 after a 25-year career with the Detroit Police Department.

Simmons, a 1933 graduate of Michigan State Normal College (now Eastern Michigan University), became Michigan's first honorary 'M' man in 1990.

"Red Simmons was a fixture at many sporting events and was always supportive of the department and our coaches," Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon said in a statement Friday. "He lived a long, productive life and made a positive impact on the lives of thousands of others. Red will be missed by our athletic department, but his legacy will endure as an accomplished coach, a wonderful person and a great Michigan Man."

For more information on Thursday's event, contact Williams-Hoak via email at irish2go@att.net.

Nick Baumgardner covers Michigan sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-2514, by email at nickbaumgardner@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @nickbaumgardner.