Clark Atlanta has tapped veteran coach Terry Sims to lead its football program, giving the HBCU a new face on the sideline as it tries to build on recent momentum.
The university announced Sims’ hiring on Friday, January 16, 2026, and said he will begin immediately. A formal introduction is set for Thursday, January 22, 2026 at 10 a.m. ET at Epps Gymnasium.
“We are thrilled to welcome Coach Terry Sims to our university,” athletic director Dr. Jerel Drew said in the school’s announcement. Drew added that Sims’ player development focus and “competitive excellence” match the vision for the Panthers.
HBCU football program in transition
Sims takes over for Teddy Keaton, who was fired in December after two seasons. Keaton finished 10-10-1 at Clark Atlanta, including a breakthrough 2024 campaign that ended with the Panthers reaching the SIAC championship game. The Panthers followed that up with a 3-7 season in 2025.
The move signals a quick reset for an HBCU program that briefly climbed into the SIAC contender conversation under Keaton. Now, Clark Atlanta is betting Sims’ deeper resume can turn that one-year spike into a standard.
Clark Atlanta pointed to Sims’ previous head-coaching success at Bethune-Cookman, highlighting a 34-21 conference record and conference championships during his tenure there. Sims was introduced as Bethune-Cookman’s head coach in late 2014 after five seasons on that staff. His B-CU teams finished top-25 nationally in multiple defensive metrics, beat FAMU seven straight years at one point, and produced NFL and CFL signees.
Most recently, Sims has worked at Alabama State, where he has held roles including director of football operations and, in 2025, assistant head coach/passing defense coordinator, according to the school’s staff listing.