Former Seminoles star Ernie Sims returns to Florida State as defensive analyst
Former Florida State linebacker and first-round NFL Draft pick Ernie Sims is coming home.
Florida State announced Monday that Sims, born and raised in Tallahassee, will join head coach Mike Norvell’s staff as a defensive analyst.
“I am so happy to bring Ernie back home into this program,” Norvell said in a statement. “He was a tremendous player at Florida State and in the NFL, and he has a wealth of football knowledge and experience as a player and coach. This is a wonderful opportunity to continue enhancing our football staff as we work to put our players and coaches in the best position to be successful.”
Sims played for the Seminoles from 2003-05 and was an All-American as a sophomore in 2004. He left school early and became the No. 9 overall pick by the Detroit Lions in the 2006 draft.
After an eight-year NFL career with the Lions (2006-09), Philadelphia Eagles (2010), Indianapolis Colts (2011) and Dallas Cowboys (2012-13), Sims retired and began his college coaching career in his home state of Florida.
Sims spent two seasons under Lane Kiffin at Florida Atlantic, serving as the team’s strength and conditioning coordinator in 2018 and then as director of football operations in 2019.
He then spent three seasons on the staff at South Florida, beginning as a defensive quality control analyst in 2020 before becoming linebackers coach in 2021. He served as the Bulls’ defensive coordinator for the final three games of the 2022 season.
