Oregon will pay new running backs coach Ra'Shaad Samples more than the man he's replacing, but Samples did not net a raise in his move from Tempe to Eugene.
According to documents obtained by The Oregonian, Samples will earn a prorated $500,000 for the 2024 football season, and $650,000 in 2025.
As Arizona State's wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator, Samples made $500,000 in 2023 and was set to net $600,000 had he remained at ASU. He was also under contract through the 2025 season with the Sun Devils.
The $500,000 figure is more than the $400,000 Oregon paid Carlos Locklyn to coach its running backs. Locklyn will earn $650,000 each of the next two years at Ohio State.
Locklyn has called running back the "worst coached position in football," a comment that drew considerable blowback from within the running back coach community.
At 29 years old, Samples has spent two seasons as an offensive assistant at Houston, one as assistant wide receivers coach at Texas, one as an offensive assistant at SMU, two as SMU's running backs coach, and one as the LA Rams' running backs coach. In addition to awarding a larger contract, Dan Lanning also named Samples his assistant head coach.
Seems Lanning is quite confident in the quality of coaching he acquired for his running backs room.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.