Sam Shade, a former University of Alabama star who logged seven years in the NFL, has emerged as a top candidate for the Miles College head coaching position, sources told FootballScoop.
Shade has been head coach at Pinson Valley High School (Alabama) for two years.
Miles needs a replacement for Reginald Ruffin, who had a distinguished decade-long run at the school that saw Ruffin pull dual-duty as both head football coach and athletics director. Miles competes in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
For Shade, the appeal is a chance to begin the coaching climb in the collegiate ranks.
After playing in the NFL for the Cincinnati Bengals, as well as Washington, Shade then transitioned into a coaching career. He’s previously coached at the collegiate level at Samford, as well as Georgia State – working special teams and secondary – plus spent a year on staff with the Cleveland Browns.
There, Shade helped as the Browns’ assistant special teams coach during the 2018 season.
Shade made an immediate impact at Pinson Valley, which won a dozen games and a state championship in Shade’s first season atop the program located northeast of downtown Birmingham.