Ra'Shaad Samples drops major hint on future amid heavy interest from NFL teams
Ra'Shaad Samples made it clear on Monday on X that he doesn't intend to leave the Oregon Ducks anytime soon. The Ducks' assistant head coach and running backs coach was recently interviewed by the Dallas Cowboys for their vacant running backs coach role.
Oregon will be happy to retain Samples. He was a key piece of their success this season which saw the Ducks put up a record of 13-1 and were the No. 1-ranked program in the nation. They were eliminated 41-21 in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff by eventual national championship Ohio State.
Ra'Shaad Samples' impressive young coaching resume
Ra'Shaad Samples began his coaching pursuits in 2016 serving as a student assistant for the University of Houston. He was hired by Texas in 2018 as the program's assistant wide receivers coach. The following year, he moved to SMU, where he served as an offensive assistant before being promoted to be the running backs coach and a recruiting coordinator.
In 2021 SMU promoted Samples to assistant head coach as well as running backs coach. The NFL came calling for Samples in 2022, when he served as the Los Angeles Rams' running backs coach. However, he left after six months with the organization for Arizona State, where he was brought on as the program's wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator.
In April 2024, Samples found himself at his current home with the Oregon Ducks.
The Texan was a four-star wide receiver at Oklahoma State before eventually transferring to Houston. However, his playing career was cut short due to several concussions.
Samples has certainly made quite the climb in just under a decade as a coach. He could well be a name heard in the mix for a head coaching position in the NFL in the next several years. For now, Samples will seemingly remain with Oregon, hoping to build off of the success the Ducks saw in 2024.
Under Samples' coaching, junior running back Jordan James rushed 233 times for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging 5.4 yards per carry, and has declared for the 2025 NFL draft.