Clint Sintim
Clint Sintim is in his fourth year as a defensive coach after returning to his alma mater in 2020. In 2022, under new head coach Tony Elliott, Sintim switched from coaching the defensive line to be the team’s linebackers coach.
The UVA defense showed considerable improvement in 2022. The unit 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. Among Power 5 Conference schools, UVA was highly effective in minimizing big plays (20+ yards), allowing only 3.2 per contest.
In the 2022 matchup with Georgia Tech, the defense racked up eight sacks, the second-highest single-game total in program history. In that same contest, UVA held the Yellow Jackets below double figures in scoring for just the second time in the previous 44 meetings between the teams. Georgia Tech’s 202 yards of total offense was the fewest allowed to an FBS/ACC opponent since the 2013 season.
Sintim’s front line in 2020 helped the Cavaliers finish No. 11 in the nation with 3.2 sacks per game. UVA’s 32 sacks rank No. 6 all-time on UVA’s single-season list as 9.5 of those sacks were registered by defensive linemen.
Sintim returned to UVA after spending the previous three seasons as the linebackers/defensive ends coach for Danny Rocco at Delaware. Prior to that, he coached for Rocco at Richmond in the same capacity during the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Rocco is a former UVA assistant coach.
Sintim, a native of Woodbridge, 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 that season. He finished his UVA 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 UVA 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 UVA’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 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 before a knee injury sidelined him for the 2011 and 2012 campaigns. He announced his retirement as a player in 2013. Sintim’s NFL career included a Super Bowl (XLVI) championship (2011 season) when the Giants defeated the New England Patriots 21-17 in Indianapolis.
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.
In each of Sintim’s two seasons at Richmond, the Spiders advanced to the NCAA playoffs. They reached the national semifinals in 2015 and the quarterfinals in 2016. Each of those UR teams finished with 10 wins.
At Delaware, Sintim 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.
An all-state performer at Gar-Field High School, Sintim earned his degree in anthropology from Virginia in 2009. He and his wife, Angie, had their first child (Aniyah) in 2020.