Former Florida State All-American linebacker Ernie Sims has joined his alma mater's coaching staff as a defensive analyst, Mike Norvell announced Monday.
The No. 1 overall player (per Rivals) in the class of 2003, Sims signed with Florida State out of North Florida Christian in Tallahassee. He was a First Team All-American as a sophomore in 2004, and the ninth overall pick by the Detroit Lions after his junior season.
Sims played eight seasons for the Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys before retiring in 2014.
He entered coaching as a strength and conditioning assistant at Florida Atlantic in 2018, spent 2019 as FAU's DFO, then moved to the football side as an analyst at South Florida in 2020. He coached the Bulls linebackers from 2021-22, and spent 2023 coaching 'backers at Central Florida.
"I am so happy to bring Ernie back home into this program," Norvell said. "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. Ernie will be able to positively impact our current team as well as future members of the Nole Family through his experiences as the No. 1 overall prospect in the nation out of high school, an All-American at Florida State and a top-10 selection in the NFL Draft."
"I'm excited for this opportunity to return to Florida State," Sims said. "Tallahassee is my home, and Florida State University played a vital role in my development on and off the field. I've taken lessons that I learned here with me throughout my career, so the opportunity to come back and contribute again to the football program is incredibly meaningful to me. It's been rewarding to watch Coach Norvell build this program back among the best in the nation. I'm grateful to be joining his staff and can't wait to see what the future has in store for Florida State."
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