Alabama A&M has hired Sam Shade as head football coach, the school announced Sunday.

Shade, the former Alabama and NFL defensive back, spent the last three seasons as head coach at Miles College in Fairfield. He led the Golden Bears to an 18-15 record last season, including a 10-3 mark, a conference championship and an NCAA Division II playoff berth.

“This is a new and exciting time to bring coach Sam Shade to the mound,” said Alabama A&M athletics director Paul A. Bryant. “He brings a wealth of knowledge and proven success to a program poised for success. His tremendous in-state resources and impeccable relationships with his team made him the perfect candidate for Alabama A&M University.”

Shade takes over at Alabama A&M for Connell Maynor, who was fired earlier this month after posting a 40-32 record in seven seasons. The Bulldogs finished 6-6 in 2024.

A native of Birmingham, Shade was an All-SEC safety at Alabama in the early 1990s and a starter on the Crimson Tide’s 1992 national championship team. He later played eight seasons in the NFL for Cincinnati and Washington.

Shade coached at the collegiate level as an assistant at Samford (2009-15) and Georgia State (2017) and in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns (2018). He was the head coach at Pinson Valley High School from 2020 to 2021, leading the Indians to a state championship in his first season.