The Los Angeles Rams are doing some shuffling to their coaching staff this offseason, which has become a common theme under Sean McVay. Kevin O’Connell and other assistants have left for other jobs, prompting the Rams to replace them for next season.
After Matt Zenitz of On3Sports first reported it, Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson is confirming that the Rams are expected to hire Ra’Shaad Samples as their new running backs coach.
Los Angeles Rams are planning to hire highly regarded TCU running backs coach-assistant head coach Ra'Shaad Samples as their new running backs coach with Thomas Brown now coaching tight ends. Samples, 27, is an up-and-coming coach @mzenitz on it first.
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) March 4, 2022
Earlier this week, it was reported that the Rams were interested in interviewing Samples. The Dallas native has worked at multiple Texas-based colleges in his coaching career thus far, and he was named the assistant head coach, run-game coordinator, and running backs coach at TCU for the 2022 season.
But with the chance to make the leap to the NFL, Samples likely realizes that this was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. Being able to join a staff like McVay’s could propel him even further in his journey to becoming a head coach (if that’s his ultimate goal).
Samples is regarded as a top-notch recruiter in college football and at 27 years old, he’s already making a name for himself in the coaching ranks. The Rams needed a new running backs coach with Thomas Brown making the transition to tight ends coach, replacing Wes Phillips, who accepted the offensive coordinator job on O’Connell’s new staff on the Minnesota Vikings.
With Samples joining McVay’s new-look coaching staff, he may break McVay’s record of being the youngest coach to be hired in the NFL sooner rather than later.