Former passing game coordinator and receivers coach Ra'Shaad Samples will be making his way to Oregon as a running backs coach and an assistant head coach.
Samples had just signed a contract extension with the Sun Devils through the 2025 season. In 2022, he was the youngest position coach in the NFL at 27 years old.
Samples joined ASU for head coach Kenny Dillingham's first season in 2023, leaving the Los Angeles Rams where he was the running backs coach. Samples has had multiple running back coaching positions, including at SMU and TCU.
Dillingham publicly wished his position coach goodbye on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Samples will fill a void left by Oregon's former running back coach, Carlos Locklyn, who left for Ohio State last week.
The Sun Devils are losing one of their premier recruiters. Samples was one of the orchestrators of the 'Texas to Tempe' movement, which brought multiple high-level recruits and transfers from the Lone Star State.
His coaching was key in Arizona State wide receiver Elijhah Badger's All-Pac 12 honorable mention recognition last season. With two weeks left in spring practice, the Sun Devils will have to replace one of their highly regarded position coaches.
Edited by Shane Brennan, Alysa Horton and Caera Learmonth.
Reach the reporter at vdeange1@asu.edu and follow @vdeangelis2024 on X.
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Vincent Deangelis is a full-time reporter for the sports department at The State Press. He has previously worked for Arizona PBS and AZPreps365.com.
