William “B.T.” Sherman is in his fifth year on the NSU football coaching staff heading into the 2021 season. After serving as the Spartans’ running backs coach and assistant head coach the past four years, Sherman now serves as offensive coordinator and associate head coach.
The Spartans’ ground game enjoyed a stellar 2019 season. Sherman had to juggle lineups due to injuries, with four different players starting as the primary tailback. Nonetheless, NSU ranked third in the MEAC in rushing, at more than 144 yards per game – its highest output since 2011. Freshman Kevin Johnson earned third-team All-MEAC honors and was also voted the state’s Division I Offensive Rookie of the Year. He and fellow true freshman Rayquan Smith combined to rush for nearly 900 yards and nine rushing scores.
Sherman joined NSU with eight years of previous collegiate coaching experience within the MEAC. Previously, he coached at Howard University for three seasons (2014-16). He finished his tenure in 2016 serving as associate head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Sherman was promoted to those positions after coaching the wide receivers for two years (2014-15).
Sherman helped lead Howard to the No. 2 ranking in the MEAC in rushing yards. The Bison improved six places in the MEAC statistical rankings in total offense from 2015 to 2016, averaging more than 100 yards per game better than the previous year. Howard had three offensive players earn All-MEAC honors in 2016, including a pair of first-team selections.
Before joining the Bison, Sherman spent five seasons at Morgan State, where he coached the wide receivers and was the passing game coordinator.
Sherman spent three years as the head coach at Cincinnati Woodward High School. In 2008, he was named Coach of the Year as he guided the Bulldogs to a 10-0 record and the first playoff appearance in school history. Sherman led Woodward to a 19-12 record in three seasons, and under his guidance, the squad averaged 40 points per game and won 14 consecutive regular-season games.
Sherman helped tutor numerous top college prospects, including running back Erik Finklea, who went on to play collegiately at Miami of Ohio.
Prior to taking the reins at Woodward, Sherman served two seasons as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Cincinnati Taft High School (2004-05). In addition, he was the wide receivers coach for Cincinnati Withrow High School in 2003.
A Cincinnati, Ohio native, Sherman was a three-sport athlete at Withrow High. He was two-time Conference Player of the Year in football and two-time all-conference selection in baseball. He was also an all-city guard on the basketball team.
Sherman continued his football career at the College of Sequoias (Visalia, Calif.), where he became a two-time all-conference wide receiver before transferring to Morgan State. Sherman was a standout for the Bears on special teams and as a receiver. He ranked as one of the top returners in the nation by averaging a league-best 30.1 yards per kickoff return. Sherman was also the team’s second-leading receiver as he helped the Bears post a 7-5 record, the school’s first winning season in 23 years.
Sherman is a member of the American Football Coaches Association and the Southwest Ohio Football Coaches Association. He earned his bachelor’s degree in health education from Morgan State in 2003. Sherman has one son, Jaylen.
