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Miles College head coach Sam Shade has been hired as Alabama A&M's next head coach per a statement by the institution on Sunday night. Shade joins the program after three seasons at the helm of the Golden Bears, where the team won the 2024 SIAC Championship and clinched a birth in the NCAA Division II Playoffs.
“This is a new and exciting time to bring Coach Sam Shade to the Hill,” Alabama A&M athletics director Paul A. Bryant said in a statement. “He brings a wealth of knowledge and proven success to a program ready to thrive. His vast resources in the state and impeccable relationships with his team made him the perfect candidate for Alabama A&M University.”
Shade is a program builder that in one season brought Miles College back to prominence as one of the premier Division II programs in the nation. Shade was hired to lead Miles College in January 2022. He brought a wealth of experience, from his time as a standout player at Alabama to his career in the NFL as both a player and coach. His résumé also included valuable roles at the high school and college levels, serving as head coach at Pinson Valley High School and as the defensive backs coach at Georgia State.
Shade awakened a sleeping giant in Miles College after a 1-9 finish in his first season. He guided his team to an impressive 7-3 record during the 2023 season, highlighted by a stunning 21-17 upset over Alabama State. The season also included a heartbreaking 21-20 loss to the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff—just shy of achieving the rare feat of a Division II head coach defeating two FCS programs in a single season, let alone in consecutive games.
This season, Miles went undefeated in the conference and boasted a fearsome defense that ranked first in scoring defense, run defense, interceptions, sacks, and fumbles forced. The Golden Bears won the SIAC Championship over Clark Atlanta University and made an appearance in the 2024 NCAA Division II Playoffs. Although they ultimately lost 33-17 to Valdosta State, Miles College made history by winning their first playoff game in a 14-13 defensive battle against Carson-Newman.
Shade takes over for former head coach Connell Maynor. His tenure at Alabama A&M, which started in 2018, was undeniably successful. The team experienced incremental growth that culminated in the Spring 2021 SWAC Championship and a 7-3 season behind star quarterback Aqeel Glass. But, the past few seasons since 2021 have been calamitous, as he went 15-19 since 2022 with no wins against fellow SWAC East contenders Jackson State, Alabama State, or Florida A&M in that time span.
