High school football coach gets a job promotion but has to resign

Antoine Sims, the head football coach at Tates Creek High School, has resigned that position due to a job promotion.

Sims, who just completed his fourth season leading the Commodores’ football program, has been named the sergeant at Bryan Station High School by Fayette County Public Schools Law Enforcement. He had been working as a school officer at Tates Creek.

Because of the nature and responsibilities of his new role, Sims had to step down, Tates Creek Athletic Director John Dixon said. Each public high school in Lexington is staffed with one sergeant and multiple officers.

Sims, who played for Tates Creek in the late ’90s, was just the fifth head football coach in the school’s 52-year history. He went 23-23 in four years with the program, most recently coaching the team to a 9-3 record and a Class 6A, District 8 championship.

“I would like to thank Coach Sims for his commitment and dedication to our program,” Tates Creek Athletic Director John Dixon wrote in an email. “We wish him the best with his new position.”

Sims played football for the University of Louisville. He was the head coach at Tates Creek Middle School for five years before being named Tates Creek High School head coach on an interim basis in May 2014.

“Although replacing Coach Sims will be extremely difficult, we certainly look forward to this challenge,” Dixon wrote. “With many players in key positions returning, I am very excited about our future. Our focus will be finding a coach with great leadership, a players-first mentality, and a coach who understands the strong traditions we have established for Tates Creek Commodore football.”

Tates Creek won’t be the only Fayette County school with a new head football coach next season. Paul Laurence Dunbar Coach Chris Mullins announced his resignation last month after two seasons.

This story was originally published December 6, 2017 at 9:30 AM with the headline "High school football coach gets a job promotion but has to resign."