Devante Sims is entering his first year at Eastern New Mexico as the Cornerbacks Coach and Recruiting Coordinator for the 2019 campaign.
Sims comes to Eastern after serving one season as the Co-Defensive Coordinator and Secondary Coach for his alma mater, Lake Erie College. Sims was tasked with coordinating the secondary coverage and defensive schemes for the Storm, as well as assisting the academic monitoring and film breakdown. Sims mentored a pair of All-Great Midwest Athletic Conference Honorable Mention selections, including Elems Ukwu who set the LEC record for most tackles in a season, led the GMAC in total tackles and finished fifth in NCAA Division II with 11 solo tackles as well as Thomas Covington. Sims also served as the interim Head Football Coach at Lock Haven University over the summer before accepting the position at ENMU.
Prior to LEC, Sims served as the Cornerbacks Coach for Lone Star Conference rival Angelo State during the 2017 season. Sims guided a Rams secondary that finished second in the LSC in passing defense, giving up just 211.6 yards per game while coaching Fred Lawrence, who earned LSC Defensive Back of the Year, All-LSC First Team, and All-American honors. Sims also handled the academic monitoring, equipment and data inputting for the Rams football program.
Before moving to San Angelo, Sims operated as the Secondary Coach at Thiel College in Greenville, Pennsylvania during the 2016 campaign, handling the day-to-day management of the secondary.
Sims entered the coaching profession after a phenomenal three-year playing career at Lake Erie College, playing for the Storm during the 2010 as well as 2013 and 2014 seasons. Sims made his marks in the Storm's record books, finishing in the program's top 10 for total tackles and currently ranks fifth in program history in both fumbles forced and passes defensed.
Following his playing career for Lake Erie, Sims was invited to play at the Dream Bowl and also competed in the National Bowl. Sims later competed at a regional NFL combine held at the Miami Dolphins facilities in Davie, Florida.
Sims is originally from Fort Myers, Florida, where he played three years of high school football and graduated from Dunbar High School. Sims earned his Bachelor's Degree in Sports Management from Lake Erie College.