UAPB Football: Gamble Names Thomas Sims Co-Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Line Coach
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff head football coach Doc Gamble named Thomas Sims co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Wednesday.
Thomas brings a veteran of more than 20 plus years at the collegiate and professional level, Thomas joins the Golden Lions after spending the last three years at Savannah St.
Sims was hired at Savannah State in August of 2018. He was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2019 led one of the most powerful defensive efforts the football program has seen in modern history.
The Tigers posted an historic 7-3 overall record in 2019—the first winning schedule since 1998. In the program’s first year of competition back in NCAA Division II and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), the Tigers finished with an incredible 5-0 conference record.
Sims led the No. 1 scoring defense in the SIAC during the historic 2019 season. His Tigers amassed 455 tackles including 70 tackles for a loss. Savannah State led the SIAC in interceptions with 12. They had 27 sacks, ranking third in the SIAC. The Tigers defeated the top two teams in the conference, Albany State and Fort Valley State, by a combined 88-43 points.
Even a cursory glance at Sims coaching and playing record reveals how important his experience was to shaping the 2019 Tigers. Sims coached at the NCAA Division I Bowl Championship Series level for nearly 20 years before joining Savannah State.
Just before joining the Tigers, Sims spent 2017 at the Baltimore Ravens Camp. Prior to that, he was the defensive line coach for Pittsburgh University from 2015-16. He made two consecutive bowl appearances, 2015 Military Bowl and 2016 Pinstripe Bowl, with Pitt. In 2016, Pitt’s defense finished 6th nationally in sacks (43) and 15th in rushing defense (110 YPG).
Under Sims leadership, defensive end E’juan Price earned First Team All-ACC and All-American honors. He was drafted in the 7th round by the L.A. Rams in the 2017 NFL Draft. Tackles Shakir Soto and Tyrique Jarrett both signed free agent contracts with the Denver Broncos.
Prior to Pitt, Sims was the defensive line coach at Youngstown State from 2010-2014. During his tenure, Sims coached numerous all-conference linemen and the teams he coached set multiple school records. In 2013, YSU posted an overall 8-4 record and went 5-3 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, and included the first 5-0 start to conference play in school history.
In their first ever win over a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent, YSU gobbled up Pittsburgh 31-17 in 2012, ending that season with a 7-4 record. In the year prior, Sims led a defensive line that that helped preserve a 27-24 victory over No. 1 North Dakota State with two sacks, and a game-ending fumble recovery.
He was the defensive line coach at the University of Kansas in 2009 before heading to YSU. The Jayhawks defensive put up 32 sacks and opened the season with five consecutive wins during Sims time there.
Sims coached in the Big Ten for eight seasons through the early aughts. He coached the defensive line at the University of Minnesota from 2001-2004. Minnesota played in three bowls during Sims time there, the Music City Bowl (2002), The Sun Bowl (2003) and the Music City Bowl (2004).
Sims moved to the University of Illinois (2005-2008) following Minnesota. In 2007, Illinoi played USC in the Rose Bowl after finishing the season 9-4 and 6-2 in the Big Ten. In Sims final year at Illinois, the defense led the Big Ten in sacks with 32. He coached four All-Big Ten lineman over his career for the Fighting Illini
Sims coaching career began at Western Kentucky. From 1997-1999 he led the defensive line and helped The Hilltoppers reach the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoff in 1997 under coach Jack Harbaugh. He moved to Eastern Michigan University in 2000, his first FBS posting, where he served under Jeff Woodruff.
Sims played seven seasons as a defensive tackle in the National Football League, including four with Kansas City (1990-92, 1996) and two with Indianapolis (1993-94). He was also in camp with Minnesota (1995). Sims played 47 games in the NFL, finishing with 60 career tackles and four sacks. He had a career-best 30 stops while playing for Indianapolis in 1993.
He spent his first two seasons of college playing at Western Michigan before transferring to Pitt. For the Panthers, he recorded 142 tackles and 12.5 sacks in two campaigns from 1988-89.
A Detroit, Mich., native, Sims earned a degree in business from Pittsburgh in 1990.
He and his wife Rene have two daughters, Sydney and Zoe.
