football
12/29/2024 5:59:00 p.m

Brian Howard, deputy AD for communications

THE HILL | Alabama A&M University welcomed Sam Shade as the 22nd^nd Head football coach in program history announced by Athletics Director Dr. Paul A. Bryant during a special edition of From the Hill Podcast on Sunday evening.

“This is a new and exciting time to bring coach Sam Shade to the Hill,” Bryant said. “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 is a winner at every level, from high school to college. He led Pinson Valley High School to a state championship in 2020 and Miles College to the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) crown in 2024.

In the last three seasons at Miles, Shade compiled an 18-15 overall record and a 15-7 record in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC). Additionally, his team won the conference title in 2024 and reached the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs, where they lost in the second round to top-seeded Valdosta State.

In 2023, the Golden Bears finished 7-3 overall and 6-2 in the SIAC. The season included the program’s first win over Division I FCS opponent Alabama State and an average winning margin of 9.2. It was a marked improvement from his first season in Fairfield, where Miles went 1-9 overall and 1-5 in the SIAC Western Division.

Shade came to Miles after spending two years as head football coach at Pinson Valley High School, where he won an Alabama High School Athletic Association Class 6A state championship in his first season in 2020.


Prior to coaching, Shade played eight years in the NFL for the Cincinnati Bengals (1995-98) and Washington Redskins (1999-02). He was the Bengals’ leading tackler in 1997, second on the team in 1998, and led the Redskins in tackles in 1999.

His defensive coordinators during his NFL career included NFL Hall of Fame coach Dick LeBeau as well as Mike Nolan, Ray Rhodes and Marvin Lewis. In April 2000, Shade received the Redskins’ Unsung Hero Award for his dedication and community service.


Shade played college at Alabama, where he was a member of the Crimson Tide’s 1992 national championship team and was named team captain as a senior in 1994. He was selected by the Bengals in the fourth round of the 1995 NFL Draft.

After retiring from the NFL, Shade began his coaching career as a volunteer coach at Briarwood Christian School in Birmingham, Alabama from 2004 to 2008 before spending eight years at Samford, where he coached the secondary and special teams. He then moved to Georgia State, where he coached cornerback. His career took him back to the NFL as an assistant special teams coach for the Cleveland Browns before returning home to coach at Pinson Valley.

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


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