Clint Sintim spent one season as Illinois' outside linebackers coach in 2024. 

Sintim coached one of the most productive outside linebacker groups in the Big Ten to help the Fighting Illini to a 10-3 record, a final regular-season ranking of #20 in the College Football Playoff rankings, and a victory over #14 South Carolina in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. Sintim’s group included team captain Seth Coleman and All-Big Ten Third Team selection Gabe Jacas, who finished the regular season in the top 25 nationally in forced fumbles (10th, 3) and sacks (23rd, 8.0). Jacas finished the season with 3.0 tackles for loss in the Citrus Bowl win to total 13.0 TFLs for the season.

Sintim joined the Fighting Illini from Virginia, where he spent the previous four years as a defensive coach. He coached Virginia’s defensive line from 2020-21, before switching to the team’s linebackers coach from 2022-23. 

Sintim is a 10-year veteran in college coaching, which has followed his All-American playing career at Virginia and four years in the NFL. After playing in the 2009 Senior Bowl, Sintim was a second-round NFL Draft selection by the New York Giants. He played in both the 2009 and 2010 seasons for the Giants, before a knee injury sidelined him for the 2011 and 2012 seasons. Sintim announced his retirement as a player in 2013, after an NFL career that included a Super Bowl XLVI championship when the Giants defeated the New England Patriots, 21-17, in Indianapolis.

Last season, Sintim coached Virginia true freshman linebacker Kam Robinson to multiple Freshman All-America honors. Robinson made eight starts and appeared in all 12 games for the Cavaliers in 2023, ranking third among FBS true freshmen in tackles with 71, which led all ACC true freshmen. Robinson added 4.5 tackles for loss, one sack, four quarterback hurries, and two interceptions, including a pick-6 against then-No. 11 Louisville to tie the game at 14-14 in the third quarter on Nov. 9.

Sintim helped the Virginia defense make big improvements in 2022, including All-ACC linebacker Nick Jackson. Virginia ranked No. 3 in the ACC in pass defense, No. 5 in average sacks per game, and No. 5 in passing efficiency. The Cavaliers ranked No. 24 in the nation in yards per play (4.97) and were 29th in points surrendered per possession. In the 2022 matchup with Georgia Tech, the defense racked up eight sacks, the second-highest single-game total in program history. Jackson, who led the ACC and ranked ninth in the nation with 10.4 tackles per game, was Virginia’s defensive MVP. 

Sintim’s defensive line helped Virginia finish No. 11 in the nation with 3.2 sacks per game in 2020. Virginia’s 32 sacks ranked No. 6 all-time on the program’s single-season list, as 9.5 of those sacks were registered by defensive linemen.

Sintim returned to Virginia after spending the previous three seasons as the linebackers/defensive ends coach at Delaware from 2017-19. He helped the 2018 team return to the FCS Playoffs for the first time since the 2010 season. He also helped the Blue Hens land their best recruiting class in the program’s history in 2020. It was Delaware’s second consecutive top-10 FCS class, according to HERO Sports.

Sintim coached the linebackers and defensive ends at Richmond during the 2015 and 2016 seasons. In each of Sintim’s two seasons at Richmond, the Spiders won 10 games and advanced to the NCAA playoffs, reaching the national semifinals in 2015 and the quarterfinals in 2016.

Sintim was a four-year letter-winner at Virginia and served as a team captain as a senior in 2008. He was a second-team All-ACC selection and received All-America honors from Phil Steele and Pro Football Weekly as a senior. Sintim finished his Virginia career with 245 tackles, including 29 sacks and 46 tackles for loss, while playing in 49 games. His sack total ranks as the second highest in Virginia history, and his tackles-for-loss number is tied for the third most by a Cavalier.

In 2005, Sintim picked up freshman All-American honors by the Sporting News (third team) and was also named to that organization’s ACC All-Freshman Team. He received Virginia’s Bill Dudley Award as the program’s most outstanding first-year player. Sintim led the nation’s linebackers in sacks as both a junior and senior, accumulating nine in each season.

After his NFL playing career, Sintim spent the 2014 season with the West Alabama Tigers as the outside linebackers coach and assisted with the special teams as part of the NFL Players Association Coaching Internship Program. Prior to the 2016 season, Sintim took part in the NFL Minority Internship Program and worked with the Washington Redskins during their preseason camp.

Sintim is a native of Woodbridge, Virginia, and an all-state performer at Gar-Field High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Virginia in 2009. 

Sintim and his wife, Angie, have two children, Aniyah and Amari.  

Coaching Career