Florida State brings Ernie Sims home; Former All-American hired as defensive analyst
A Tallahassee native and former Seminole great has come home. Ernie Sims III, a former All-America linebacker at Florida State and first-round NFL draft pick, has been hired by Mike Norvell as a defensive analyst.
Sims has been attending Florida State practices all spring, but the move was finally officially announced on Monday.
“I am so happy to bring Ernie back home into this program,” Norvell said in a release from the university. “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.”
A few years after ending an eight-season NFL career, Sims earned his first job in college football as an assistant strength and conditioning coordinator at Florida Atlantic University in 2018.
Sims was promoted to director of football operations the next year, then left FAU to begin a three-year run with the USF Bulls. Sims climbed the ranks from a quality control position up to linebackers coach and interim defensive coordinator from 2020 to 2022.
Sims joins Florida State’s staff after one season in Orlando as the UCF Knights’ linebackers coach.
“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.”
At Florida State, Sims amassed 200 tackles over three seasons, including 21 tackles for loss and seven sacks. He was named to ESPN’s All-America First Team in 2004 and was a first-round pick of the Detroit Lions in 2006.
His father, Ernie Sr. and Alice Sims, were both also student-athletes at FSU.
Sims returned to school after his NFL career and completed his bachelor’s degree in social science from Florida State in 2018. He and his wife, Brooke, have four children, Ernie IV, Major, Savannah and Bella.
Join Warchant for Market-Leading Florida State Football coverage!
Warchant.com provides just what passionate FSU fans expect: Market-leading coverage of Seminole athletics and recruiting.
Join the largest Florida State fan community and receive all the benefits that come with it:
- Elite team and recruiting coverage of the program you love.
- Exclusive video and board Q&A’s with Warchant staff.
- Interaction with the most passionate Seminole fans across multiple board forums.
- 10% off all Garnet & Gold purchases while holding an active membership. Member exclusive discounts once a month at even higher savings.
- Access to Warchant member benefits and giveaways at site events.
- So much more!
