Clyde Simmons - Assistant Coach (Defensive Line) - Staff Directory

Staff Directory

Clyde Simmons

Title:
Assistant Coach (Defensive Line)
Email:
Phone:
419-372-7083

Coach Simmons
Hometown	Lanes, S.C.
College	Western Carolina (1996)
Coaching History
2008-09	Greater Atlanta Christian School, Defensive Line
2010	New York Jets, Defensive Intern
2012-16	St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams, Assistant Defensive Line
2017-18	Cleveland Browns, Defensive Line
2019	Missouri Baptist, Defensive Line
2020	Western Carolina, Defensive Ends
2021-24	Tennessee State, Defensive Line
2025-pres.	Bowling Green, Defensive Line

Clyde Simmons joined Eddie George's inaugural BGSU staff in 2025 as the defensive line coach. He spent four seasons (2021-24) as the defensive line coach under George at Tennessee State. The All-Pro had a distinguished 15-year career in the NFL as a defensive end, playing for teams like the Philadelphia Eagles, Arizona Cardinals, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnati Bengals and Chicago Bears.

The 2025 season will be his 17th as a coach that has spanned the high school, college and NFL level.

While at TSU he coached 2023 Buck Buchanan Award Winner Terrell Allen. The award given annually to the top defensive player in all of FCS. Allen was also named the Big South/Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He also coached Eriq George, who led Tennessee State with 11.5 tackles for loss in 2024, earning second-team All-Big South-OVC honors on the defensive line.

Simmons came to TSU after spending the 2020 season at Western Carolina. During his time, the Catamounts ranked 16th in turnovers gained in FCS play.

Prior to WCU, Simmons spent one season as the defensive line coach at Missouri Baptist University after two years as an assistant coach with the Cleveland Browns. In Cleveland, Simmons helped groom the top draft pick of the 2017 NFL Draft, Myles Garrett.

Simmons began his coaching career in 2008 at Greater Atlanta Christian School as the defensive line coach. In 2010, he accepted a position as a defensive intern coach with the New York Jets. After two years, Simmons joined the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams as an assistant defensive line coach.

With the Rams, Simmons worked with Robert Quinn, who set a franchise single-season record with 19 sacks in 2013. He also coached 2014 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and Pro Bowl selection Aaron Donald, who broke Quinn’s mark in 2018 with 20.5 sacks. Donald’s total was a franchise record and the most by a defensive tackle in NFL history.

Simmons was a first-team All-America selection by both the Associated Press and the Kodak/AFCA while at Western Carolina. He played on the defensive line from 1982-85 and finished with 307 career tackles, 47 for loss and 23 sacks. Simmons remains in the WCU record books and was a 2002 Western Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame inductee.

As a pro, Simmons played for five different NFL teams after being drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the ninth round of the 1986 NFL draft. Simmons played eight seasons with the Eagles before spending two years with the Arizona Cardinals. He closed out his career with two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, one year with the Cincinnati Bengals and two with the Chicago Bears.

Over his 15-year career, Simmons played in 236 games recording 121.5 sacks, forcing 25 fumbles and intercepting three passes. He also collected two pick-sixes and registered a safety. Simmons was a two-time Pro Bowl selection and was named first-team All-Pro in both 1991 and 1992, leading the NFL in sacks in the latter. He was also enshrined in the Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame in 2018.

Simmons graduated from WCU in 1996 with a bachelor’s of science degree in industrial distribution.