Oregon football hires former NFL and ASU assistant Ra'Shaad Samples as running backs coach

Oregon wasted no time filling the opening on its football staff.

On Tuesday the Ducks announced the hiring of Ra'Shaad Samples as assistant head coach and running backs coach. He replaces Carlos Locklyn, who last week left Oregon for the same job at Ohio State.

Samples was in Eugene and on the job Tuesday morning for Oregon's spring football practice.

“You can’t eat an elephant in one bite, so he’s gonna learn as quick as he can," coach Dan Lanning said. "On his flight up he was watching installs on the plane. He’s getting ready to roll. It’s gonna be a lot of early mornings and late nights for him right now but I know that he embraces that and we’ll get him caught up as fast as we can.”

Samples was the wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator last season at Arizona State and recently signed an extension with the Sun Devils through the 2025 season.

Before his time in Tempe, Samples, 29, was the running backs coach for the Los Angeles Rams in 2022 and the youngest position coach in the NFL. Prior to his pro gig, Samples was the assistant head coach and running backs coach at TCU in 2021, which followed three seasons at SMU where he was an offensive assistant with an emphasis on recruiting (2019), before being promoted to running backs coach and recruiting coordinator (2020) and then assistant head coach (2021). "We are thrilled to be able to add a coach of Ra'Shaad's caliber to our program," Lanning said. "Coach Samples is one of the brightest young coaches in all of football, and it is easy to see why he has had such a rapid rise through the coaching ranks. He is a dynamic personality who ... will recruit relentlessly to bring the best young men we can find to our program." Samples played collegiately as receiver with Oklahoma State in 2013-14. He transferred to Houston for 2015 and 2016. After injuries ended his playing career, he joined the Cougars' staff as an offensive assistant for 2016 and 2017, then went to Texas as an offensive assistant and on-campus recruiting coordinator in 2018.

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"First, I want to thank Kenny Dillingham and the opportunity he gave me at Arizona State," Samples said. "He played a big part in my growth but I am tremendously excited and grateful join Dan Lanning and his highly regarded staff at Oregon. The chance to learn from some of the best minds in football is invaluable. I am looking forward to adding value and becoming a part of the championship culture Oregon is continuously building on."

While at Texas, Samples worked with Oregon tight ends coach Drew Mehringer, who was the Longhorns' receivers coach at the time.

“You always lean on relationships of people that know the guys and there’s several guys on our staff that knew Ra’Shaad well," Lanning said. "His play as a player, and then that experience carried over to the NFL, the multitude of positions that he’s worked with, make him a really great fit for us and someone we’re really excited about.”

Follow Chris Hansen on X @chansen_RG or email at chansen@registerguard.com.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Oregon football makes RB coach Ra'Shaad Samples hire official