Thomas Sheffield joined the Golden Lions as Special Teams Coordinator and Tight Ends Coach in the spring of 2017. He has since added the title of Recruiting Coordinator as well.
He made an impact in his first season as the special teams coordinator with his punt unit finishing 3rd nationally in net punt, 8th in punt return defense, and punter Jamie Gillan finished 8th in punting average in all of Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). These totals were also 1st in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and new school records.
Coach Sheffield's kickoff return defense was 28th in the nation, holding opponents to 18.1 yards per return. Additionally, kicker Jamie Gillan set a new school record with a 52-yard field goal against Mississippi Valley State while also improving 21 percent on his season field goal percentage from the previous year.
In 2018, Gillan earned first-team All-SWAC honors as a punter and a kicker. He was 13th in the nation in net punting (37.5 avg), and 16th in touchbacks with 31. Gillan also converted 20 of 29 field goals and his currently battling for a roster spot with the Cleveland Browns.
Prior to UAPB, Sheffield served as the special teams/offensive graduate assistant for the University of North Texas. In 2015, under Sheffield, punter Eric Keena finished the season with the 21st highest punting average in Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and second highest in Conference-USA. The following year Keena followed up that success ranked 23rd nationally and 2nd in Conference-USA. The Mean Green football team finished the 2016 campaign with an appearance in the Xaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl against Army.
Prior to North Texas, Sheffield worked at the University of Mary Hardin Baylor where he served as Tight Ends Coach and Recruiting Coordinator. In his three seasons at UMHB, the Crusaders posted a 38-3 record with three American Southwest Conference (ASC) championships and appearances in the NCAA Division III semifinals in 2012 and 2013. In 2014, Coach Sheffield coached American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) First-Team All-American tight end Eric Nelson. Nelson was the first tight end in school history to earn such honors as he caught 28 passes for 569 yards and six touchdown in 2014. He set new UMHB single-season records for a tight end with each of those totals and also averaged 20.3 yards per catch.
Nelson was named to the D3football.com All-South Region Third-Team and was an ASC First-Team All-Conference selection.
Coach Sheffield started his career as a quality control assistant for Willie Fritz at Sam Houston State University in 2011-2012.
While at SHSU, the Bearkats won the Southland Conference and made an appearance in the Division 1 FCS National Championship against North Dakota State. The Bearkats finished the season 14-1.
Sheffield graduated from Sam Houston State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Kinesiology.
Coach Sheffield and his wife, Emily, have two children; son Peyton (Bear) and daughter Blair.
