Oregon Ducks’ Ra'Shaad Samples Hottest Coaching Candidate in College Football?

Multiple teams reportedly considered Oregon Ducks running backs coach Ra'Shaad Samples for coaching vacancies in the offseason. If Samples leads the Ducks' rushing attack to another big season, are more offers in his future?

Oregon running backs coach Ra'Shaad Samples works with the team during the Ducks’ fall camp Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

A handful of coaches across college football spent time with the Oregon Ducks at some point throughout their journeys.

Recently, Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham took the head coaching position with the Sun Devils after spending a year as the Ducks’ offensive coordinator. Former members of Dan Lanning’s coaching tree have also gone on to take assistant jobs with NFL teams.

Oregon running backs coach Ra’Shaad Samples is a current member of Lanning’s staff who could be offered a larger role elsewhere following the 2025 season. Samples was listed by The Athletic's Chris Vannini as an assistant coach primed for a bigger role in the future.

Samples Sought Out In The Offseason

Oregon running backs coach Ra'Shaad Samples works with the team during the Ducks’ fall camp Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Samply has quickly ascended through the collegiate coaching landscape. Before Oregon, he spent time as an offensive assistant for SMU and later as the running backs coach. He was also the assistant head coach and running backs coach for the TCU Horned Frogs. Samples most recently served as a running backs coach for the Los Angeles Rams before spending the 2023 season as the Arizona State wide receivers coach.

Just 30 years of age, Samples is already a coveted coaching candidate. In December, Samples was a finalist for the head coaching position at Sam Houston State but elected to stay in Eugene. He also interviewed with the Dallas Cowboys for their wide receiver coaching vacancy.

Jul 29, 2022; Irvine, California, US; Los Angeles Rams running backs coach Ra'Shaad Samples talks to a member of media after training camp at University of California Irvine. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Ultimately, he decided to stay with the Ducks and former Oregon wide receivers coach Junior Adams took the job in Dallas.

“It’s always awesome to be wanted and to be looked at in high regard," Samples said during the spring. "Dallas is my hometown, right? That's why it was a consideration. It was awesome, man, going through the process, interviewing, getting to talk ball with those guys. But at the end of the day, my heart was at Oregon."

The Ducks maintain some continuity with Samples’ return this season amidst plenty of other changes within the roster.

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But Samples may very well earn more offers before 2026.

"I love being here, I love coaching my guys," Samples said. "I feel like this is the right place for my career right now. Obviously, I have some goals and aspirations. I want to be a head coach sometime in the future, and I think the ability to learn from Dan, how Dan has taken me under his wing, and just getting more and more comfortable with him, learning what he wants, learning how he thinks, learning how he sees things."

"Some of the opportunities he gave me during playoff prep to kind of just be around him and see his day-to-day is just an invaluable experience that I don't think I'm going to get anywhere else,” Samples continued. “Just working for Dan and this staff we have is what kept me here.”

2025 Running Back Room

Samples helped former Oregon running back Jordan James to a fifth-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Without James on the roster this season, Samples will have different players leading the Ducks’ backfield. Noah Whittington is one of the program’s returners this fall, while Samples added Tulane transfer Makhi Hughes to the running back room.

Oregon running back Noah Whittington (6) leaves Wisconsin linebacker Aaron Witt (59) in his wake on arunduring the first quarter of their game Saturday, November 16, 2024 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“I think when choosing a guy to jog out there, or whoever your RB1 is, and we're going to have guys, a bunch of guys that can play, and that's going to play this season,” Samples said during fall camp about determining the depth chart.

Along with Whittington and Hughes, Oregon has several young running backs, such as freshmen Dierre Hill Jr. and Jordon Davison, who may see time in the backfield this fall.

Samples will look to lead the Ducks to a top rushing attack in the nation this season, as well as potentially help a couple more Oregon running backs get drafted into the NFL next spring.