University of Rochester Athletics

Sims enters his first season as an assistant coach with the University of Rochester football program in 2026, serving as the quarterbacks coach and pass game coordinator. Sims comes to the River Campus after spending the past two seasons as the running backs coach at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA.
 
Over his two seasons with James Madison, Sims helped the Dukes to a 21-6 (12-4 Sun Belt) record, culminating with a Sun Belt Championship and appearance in the College Football Playoff in 2025.
 
Sims’ running back unit ranked in the top 30 nationally in 2024, and in the top 10 nationally in 2025, totaling 3,381 yards and averaging 5.50 yards per carry, as junior Wayne Knight earned First-Team All-Sun Belt and Second-Team All-America honors from the Associated Press, USA Today, Sports Illustrated and On3.
 
Prior to joining the Dukes, Sims spent three seasons as the running backs coach at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA. Over his three seasons in Philadelphia, Sims coached a trio of All-Ivy League running backs, including Malachi Hosley in 2023, who became the program’s first Ivy League Rookie of the Year since 1993. Hosley also earned Freshman All-America honors and was a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award under Sims.
 
Sims also contributed to special teams’ game planning with the Quakers, coaching a pair of All-Ivy League specialists as Penn went 17-13 over his tenure, including an 8-2 season in 2022, the Quakers’ highest win total since 2010.
 
Before his time in Philadelphia, Sims was the running backs coach at Furman University in Greenville, SC, for four seasons, helping the Paladins to a Southern Conference title and a pair of FCS Playoff appearances, while mentoring seven All-Southern Conference award winners.
 
Sims began his collegiate coaching career at NCAA Division II Shorter University in Rome, GA, serving as the quarterbacks and running backs coach and the academic coordinator from 2015-17.  Sims helped the Hawks finish seventh in DII in rushing in 2015, coaching B.J. McCoy, a First-Team All-Gulf South selection, a USA College Football All-American, and a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy, the DII Heisman trophy.
 
A 2012 graduate of Georgia Tech University, Sims was a three-year starter for the Yellow Jackets, serving as a team captain and earning Honorable Mention All-ACC honors as a senior. Sims graduated tied for seventh in Georgia Tech program history with 23 career rushing touchdowns, as well as 11th in career rushing yards with 2,252.
 
Sims earned his bachelor’s degree in management from Georgia Tech in Atlanta, GA, in Dec. 2012.