Ra'Shaad Samples

Last updated

Ra'Shaad Samples
Oregon Ducks
Position:Assistant Head Coach & Running Backs Coach
Personal information
Born: (1994-12-11) December 11, 1994 (age 30)
Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Career information
High school: Skyline (Dallas, Texas)
College:
Career history
As a coach:
  • Houston (2016–2017)
    Student assistant
  • Texas (2018)
    Assistant wide receivers coach
  • SMU (2019)
    Offensive assistant
  • SMU (2020)
    Running backs coach & recruiting coordinator
  • SMU (2021)
    Assistant head coach & running backs coach
  • Los Angeles Rams (2022)
    Running backs coach
  • Arizona State (2023)
    Wide receivers coach & passing game coordinator
  • Oregon (2024)
    Assistant head coach & running backs coach

Ra'Shaad Samples (born December 11, 1994) is an American football coach who is currently the Assistant Head Coach and Running Backs coach at the University of Oregon. He previously served as running backs coach for the Los Angeles Rams for part of a season. A native of Dallas, Texas. He previously served as the assistant head coach at SMU for 2 seasons (2019-2021). [1]

Contents

Playing career

Samples was a former four-star wide receiver at Oklahoma State who later transferred to play at Houston. [2] His playing career was cut short when he was forced to medically retire due to suffering a number of concussions. [3]

Coaching career

SMU

Samples was hired as an offensive assistant at SMU in 2019, serving as the program's top recruiter rather coaching a position. [4] He was officially promoted to running backs coach and recruiting coordinator in 2020, and was promoted to assistant head coach in 2021. [5] [6]

Texas Christian University

In late 2021, Samples left SMU and was announced as the assistant head coach and running backs coach for TCU, joining new head coach Sonny Dykes. [7]

Los Angeles Rams

Around three months after joining the staff at TCU, Samples left for the NFL to become the Los Angeles Rams running backs coach for the 2022 season in March 2021. [8]

Arizona State University

After 6 months with the Rams, Samples left the Rams before the end of the 2022 season to return to college as the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach at Arizona State for the 2023 season. [9]

University of Oregon

After the 2023 season with Arizona State University, Samples left Arizona State to join Oregon as running backs coach and assistant head coach in April 2024. [10]

Personal Life

Samples is the son of current Duncanville High School and UIL Football State Champion-winning head coach Reginald Samples. [11] Samples played for his father while a student-athlete at Skyline High School.

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References

  1. "Led by star recruiter Ra'Shaad Samples, SMU is a destination on the rise". ESPN. February 12, 2021. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
  2. "Former OSU receiver Ra'shaad Samples tweets he's headed to Houston". Tulsa World. April 28, 2015. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
  3. "Concussions end playing career of UH's Ra'Shaad Samples". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
  4. "SMU brought Ra'Shaad Samples home to be its ace Dallas recruiter. He wants to show he can be a great coach, too". The Dallas Morning News. November 14, 2019. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
  5. "SMU's Ra'Shaad Samples reflects on taking over as running backs coach". The Dallas Morning News. February 10, 2020. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
  6. SMU Football [@SMU_Football] (March 1, 2021). "New title who this? 😏 @RashaadSamples has been promoted to Running Backs/Assistant Head Coach" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  7. Lewis, Barry (December 12, 2021). "TCU Football: Introducing more of the New Staff". Sports Illustrated TCU Killer Frogs News, Analysis and More. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  8. Epstein, Jori. "Rams RBs coach Ra'Shaad Samples is the youngest position coach in the NFL. His goal: Create lanes". USA TODAY. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  9. "Sun Devil Football Tabs Ra'Shaad Samples as WR Coach/Passing Game Coord. | ASU News". December 9, 2022.
  10. "Oregon football hires former NFL and ASU assistant Ra'Shaad Samples as running backs coach". The Register-Guard. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  11. The Associated Press (August 16, 2024). "How Dallas' Ra'Shaad Samples, other young college football coaches have had to evolve". Dallas Morning News. Dallas Morning News. Retrieved December 13, 2024.