Oregon’s running backs coach, Ra’Shaad Samples, found himself embroiled in a strange situation a few months ago. The matter was put to rest; however, new developments have reignited Samples’ DUI and reckless driving incident. Now, the Ducks’ head coach, Dan Lanning, has also addressed the matter.

“We were aware of it back in April when it first happened,” Lanning told the reporters at the start of the Ducks’ fall training camp on August 5. “One, we take it extremely seriously. There are accountabilities that are required, and they were required in this moment.”

“And, on the same note, they’ve been completed. But it’s something we’ll always take very serious. There are always consequences in these moments, and we handled that internally, like we do with several things you guys don’t necessarily know about.”

According to The Oregonian, the incident took place in April 2026. A dash cam video showed Samples backing his 2026 Ford F-150 into a parked Dodge Ram and leaving the scene. The owner of the struck vehicle, Steven Young, pursued Samples down the street.

When he was pulled over, Samples reportedly ran a red light. He even initially refused to provide his license. Samples allegedly offered the driver cash amounts ranging from $1,000 to $2,500, along with football tickets, to walk away without calling the police.

Allegedly, the Ducks’ running backs coach even impersonated former NFL player DeSean Jackson. However, Samples has disputed some details of the matter. The Oregon coach claimed, through his attorney, that he first gave the driver his actual license and insurance information. He only blurted out Jackson’s name as a cheeky response.

“After I pulled over and stopped, I gave the driver my license and insurance,” Samples told the outlet. “I gave him my information that included my name. He kept asking me, ‘Who are you? Who are you?’ “He had my name. I got a little frustrated, and I gave him a cheeky response. ‘DeSean Jackson. ‘He is my favorite football player.”

Young completely refuted the claim, providing text messages showing that Samples actually texted him the name.

Samples was charged with Class A misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence of intoxicants and reckless driving.

Lanning didn’t provide specific details about the action the Ducks took against their assistant coach. Samples is currently there with the team in the fall camp. He had an initial hearing in the matter on July 20 and is now scheduled to return to court on August 25 to face the pending charges.

Ra’Shaad Samples’ football career

Samples was one of the youngest and most elite recruiter assistant coaches in NFL history. Concussions cut short his playing career as a wide receiver at Oklahoma and Houston. However, he stayed in Houston as a student assistant.

In 2018, he switched ships and went to Texas. He served as an assistant wide receivers coach. He also served as an on-campus recruiting coordinator under Tom Herman, helping secure a top-ranked recruiting class for the Longhorns.

In 2019, he landed a job at SMU under Sonny Dykes’ staff as an offensive assistant. He was appointed assistant head coach at just 26 years old. Samples was named to 247Sports’ 30-under-30 list after helping SMU land the highest-rated recruiting classes in program history.

In 2023, Sean McVay hired Samples as the running backs coach for the Rams. At age 27, he became the youngest position coach in the NFL.