Sam Shade named new AAMU head coach

Alabama A&M named former Alabama star and NFL veteran Sam Shade as the school new head football coach. Shade had previously coached at Pinson Valley High School and Miles College.

Shade takes over the Bulldogs program after the departure of Connell Maynor at the end of the 2024 regular season.

Sam Shade tapped to lead Bulldogs

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Sam Shade becomes the 22nd head football coach in program history, coming to AAMU with a winning pedigree after leading Pinson Valley High School to a state championship in 2020 and leading Miles to a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) crown in 2024.

“This is a new and exciting time to bring Coach Sam Shade to the Hill. 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.”

Dr. Paul A. Bryant, AAMU Athletics Director

Over the past three seasons at Miles, Shade compiled an 18-15 overall record and a 15-7 mark inside the SIAC.

In addition, his 2024 team won the conference title and reached the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs, falling to top-ranked Valdosta State in the second round.

Here are a few quick facts about Shade:

He was a member of the Crimson Tide’s 1992 national championship team and was named a team captain as a senior in 1994.
He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth round of the 1995 NFL Draft.
Prior to coaching, Shade played eight years in the NFL for the Bengals (1995-98) and Washington Redskins (1999-02).
He was the Bengals’ leading tackler in 1997 while ranking second on the team in 1998, and then he led the Redskins in 1999.
Following his retirement from the NFL, Shade began his coaching career as a volunteer coach at Briarwood Christian School in Birmingham.
He spent eight years coaching defensive backs at Samford University.

Shade is a Birmingham native who attended Wenonah High School, where he was the recipient of the prestigious Bryant Jordan Scholar Athlete Award, given to the state’s top student-athlete. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Alabama in business administration and finance.

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