Report: Ra'Shaad Samples Staying at Oregon After Drawing Head Coach Interest
Attracting and retaining top coaches is important for any head coach, and it looks like Dan Lanning will hold onto an up-and-coming star in Oregon Running Backs and Assistant Head Coach Ra’Shaad Samples.
Samples, 30, will remain in Eugene after being a finalist to become the next head coach at Sam Houston State, according to a Sunday morning report from Matt Zenitz of 247 Sports.
The Dallas, Texas native joined Lanning’s coaching staff at Oregon in April after previously serving as the wide receivers coach on Kenny Dillingham’s staff at Arizona State. He replaced Carlos Locklyn, who left Oregon to become the running backs coach at Ohio State.
During the 2024 season Samples has coached one of the best backfields in college football. The running back tandem of Jordan James and Noah Whittington have combined for 1,822 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns while averaging a 137.8 rushing yards per game.
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Samples has also been a major asset for Oregon on the recruiting trail.
In the 2025 recruiting class, his first with the Ducks, he signed a pair of four-star running backs in Jordan Davison of California State champion Mater Dei, as well as Dierre Hill Jr., a state champion from Illinois.
The Oregon running backs coach also played a big role in the Ducks signing five-star+ plus Duncanville (Tex.) wide receiver Dakorien Moore and four-star Scottsdale (Ariz.) Notre Dame Preparatory wide receiver Cooper Perry.
