SMU promotes Ra'Shaad Samples to assistant head coach

[AfricanMustang]

DALLAS — SMU running backs coach Ra'Shaad Samples agreed to a three-year contract extension to keep the Dallas native on the Hilltop in December and on Monday, he was announced as SMU's assistant head coach, earning the promotion after two seasons at SMU.

Head coach Sonny Dykes said one of the areas of coaching he enjoys is assisting coaches in developing. As they develop, new jobs can come calling like it did this offseason for Kevin Curtis, Randall Joyner and Kevin Kane, who all left for Power Five jobs. Equally important for a staff is being able to keep coaches around like SMU did with Samples.

"Retaining coaches is very, very important," Dykes told Pony Stampede earlier this year. "When you sit down and look at long-term success, it's one of the most important parts of it is being able to retain people in your program that are very good at what they do that are very talented that do a great job of coaching, but sometimes when you lose somebody to go out and hire somebody that's their equal or could potentially be better."

Dykes credited Samples for his work as a recruiter, his bond with the players and his coaching of a young, but talented group of running backs. Samples has been a critical cog in SMU's push to keep area talent in the Dallas area, where he calls home.

To read more: https://247sports.com/college/smu/Artic ... 161628956/

[Charleston Pony]

Really good news for the program!

[ponyboy]

Fantastic

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

Great move!!!

[indianmustang]

awesome

[Mexmustang]

I'm bewildered by the title, just who are Sonny's direct reports now? Coordinators: Offensive (two), Defensive, Special Teams, Recruiting and now an Assistant Head Coach. Happy to keep our running back coach, but title inflations get us nowhere.

[Lefty]

It also doesn't hurt anything. More than anything, it probably was done as a way to authorize a raise to keep Samples around.

[Insane_Pony_Posse]

but title inflations get us nowhere.

It doesn't? Mex I usually agree with you, so this comment kind of surprises me. This guy from all the reports I hear is an EXCELLENT recruiter and this latest signing class (one of the best we've seen in a very long time) has his fingerprints all over it. He is the "real deal" on the recruiting trail. If we can manage to keep this guy recruiting and in our program dealing with and mentoring our players it's a big win. As I am sure you are aware, his Dad is a legendary Dallas area high school coach and has been at 3 Dallas High Schools...so with that comes HUGE connections...we need that pipeline of players..... I think we are blessed to have Ra'Shad on our staff.

[CJPONY16]

but title inflations get us nowhere.

It doesn't? Mex I usually agree with you, so this comment kind of surprises me. This guy from all the reports I hear is an EXCELLENT recruiter and this latest signing class (one of the best we've seen in a very long time) has his fingerprints all over it. He is the "real deal" on the recruiting trail. If we can manage to keep this guy recruiting and in our program dealing with and mentoring our players it's a big win. As I am sure you are aware, his Dad is a legendary Dallas area high school coach and has been at 3 Dallas High Schools...so with that comes HUGE connections...we need that pipeline of players..... I think we are blessed to have Ra'Shad on our staff.

Building on this... I imagine he got a very nice raise when he signed a new 3 year deal a few months ago. Now he has the highest title you can get without being a coordinator. This basically eliminates anything a P5 could have thrown at him for an assistant position. To convince him to leave now, a school will have to either grossly overpay him as an assistant, or make him a coordinator (not happening at the P5 level). This was a very astute move by Sonny to all but guarantee we get Samples for a few more years. This title inflation definitely got us somewhere.

[PerunaPunch]

I have no knowledge of this particular situation, but I do know from past experience that SMU is a bit... let's call it "HR heavy". And titles there, particularly in the Athletics Department, are a bit confusing IMHO. So just speculating here, Coach Samples many require a title like that to get into the pay bracket Sonny needed to get him in.