David Sims Jr. - Football Coach - James Madison University Athletics

David Sims Jr.

Title:
Running Backs
Phone:
540-568-6517
Physical Address:
Plecker APC 224 (220 Champions Dr.) / MSC 2201

David Sims Jr. is in his second season with the James Madison football program in 2025, as he serves as the running backs coach.

In his first season with the Dukes, his running backs unit ranked top 30 nationally and top half in the Sun Belt in rushing yards despite a number of injuries. The Dukes averaged 191.5 rushing yards per game, good for 28th in the FBS and fifth in the Sun Belt. JMU’s rushing average was nearly a 60-yard improvement from the 2023 season and its highest average since the 2020 campaign.

The running backs room was paced by George Pettaway, who rushed for 980 yards and five touchdowns, as he ranked 19th nationally with a Sun Belt-leading 6.05 yards per rush and 51st in the FBS with 101.92 all-purpose yards per game.

Sims Jr. joined the Dukes after spending three seasons in the same role at Penn out of the Ivy League (2021-23). In his time in Philadelphia, the Quakers turned in a pair of winning seasons and a combined 17-13 record.

In 2023, the Quakers finished 6-4 and Sims coached running back Malachi Hosley to Ivy League Rookie of the Year, the first for the program since 1993. Also earning Freshman All-America honors and a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, Hosley rushed for 723 yards and seven touchdowns on 121 carries, ranking second and third in the Ancient Eight, respectively. He was named Ivy Rookie of the Week a record five times, including National Freshman of the Week after a 261-yard performance, which was the third-most in Penn single-game history.

Penn finished 2022 with a solid 8-2 record, which was the team’s most wins since 2010. Under Sims Jr.’s guidance, senior Trey Flowers was a First-team All-Ivy selection. During his first season in 2021, Isaiah Malcome was named Second Team All-Ivy.

Prior to Penn, Sims Jr. was running backs coach at Furman for four seasons (2017-20), where he helped the Paladins to one Southern Conference title and a pair of FCS playoff appearances.

Furman claimed a share of the SoCon championship in 2018 while earning NCAA postseason appearances in 2017 and 2019, which included a first-round victory over Elon in 2017. He mentored All-SoCon performers Antonio Wilcox and Kealand Dirks, who combined to play key roles in the 8-5 campaign in 2017.

Sims Jr. oversaw a backfield that rushed for over 265 yards per game in 2019, as the team secured an FCS playoff berth and AFCA Coaches No. 19 final ranking.

Prior to Furman, he worked for two years at NCAA Division II Shorter University (2015-16). With the Hawks, he served as assistant head coach and directed the program's fullbacks and quarterbacks while also serving at the team's academic coordinator.

At Shorter, he helped the Hawks finish seventh in the country in rushing in 2015, averaging 280.4 yards per game for an offense that featured running back B.J. McCoy, a first team all-conference selection, USA College Football All-America honoree, and finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy — Division II's Heisman equivalent.

Sims Jr. was a three-year starting running back at Georgia Tech from 2011-13. During his senior season, he was team captain and was an Honorable Mention All-ACC selection after leading the Yellow Jackets with 884 yards and 12 touchdowns. Sims Jr. finished his career ranked 11th on Georgia Tech's rushing charts with over 2,200 yards and tied for seventh in rushing touchdowns with 23.

Sims Jr. graduated from Georgia Tech University with a bachelor's degree in management in December of 2012.