Tag: Carlos Locklyn

Jordan James opens up about working with Ra’Shaad Samples after Locklyn’s departure

“He knows what he’s talking about,” Jordan James said of Ra’Shaad Samples. “He’s gonna help us win games.”

It’s never easy for a player when their position coach takes off for another job opportunity elsewhere in the nation, but it may be a more difficult process to go through when said position coach leaves midway through the season, whether that be in the spring or the fall.

That’s something that the Oregon Ducks running back room has had to deal with over the past few weeks, with former RB coach Carlos Locklyn leaving to take a job with the Ohio State Buckeyes. The move took place the day before Oregon returned to spring camp following their spring break period, so the backs in the room were left without some stability for a short period of time.

Fortunately, head coach Dan Lanning was able to act quickly and make a great hire, bringing in Ra’Shaad Samples from the Arizona State Sun Devils. Samples spent time previously as an RB coach for the Los Angeles Rams, and is considered one of the rising stars in the coaching game.

While the hire is encouraging, the players in that room have still had to deal with the transition phase, going from one coach to another in short order.

“We have to work through it,” Oregon RB Jordan James said on Tuesday after practice, “Obviously, an unexpected loss of Coach Lock, but I think we’ve done a great job just within ourselves, holding each other accountable and doing the things were supposed to do while that process happened.”

James stands alongside Noah Whittington as the two prominent backs in the Oregon offense, while both Jay Harris and Jayden Limar will vie for larger roles this offseason as well. This will be James’ third year in Eugene, while Whitting also acts as a veteran at the position.

While the position went through the changes over the past few weeks, it has been their leadership that helped the transition.

“I think it’s important to just have some structure,” James said, “Obviously we didn’t have that when we were going through the process of finding a coach. But you know, like I said, we’ve done a great job. The whole room does a great job of holding us accountable and doing the things we’re supposed to do, regardless of the situation.”

As far as Samples goes, there is some excitement about what he brings to the table, both in his ability to develop players and recruit out on the trail as well. While he is still getting caught up on everything in Eugene, his presence has been felt early on.

“He knows what he’s talking about,” James said. “He’s gonna help us win games. He’s gonna help us get better at every aspect of our game.”

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Ohio State RB Coach Carlos Locklyn responds to backlash from Duck fans after departure

Carlos Locklyn wasn’t afraid to talk about leaving Eugene, and the backlash he’s heard from fans since joining Ohio State.

The past couple of weeks have been relatively interesting when it comes to a “drama” standpoint for the University of Oregon and one of their former coaches.

Almost two weeks ago, Oregon’s former running backs coach Carlos Locklyn announced that he would be leaving the Ducks to take over as the next RB coach for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

The timing of the move was relatively unfortunate, as it left the Ducks without an RB coach during the middle of spring practice. However, head coach Dan Lanning did a great job of acting quickly and finding a replacement, Arizona State’s Ra’Shaad Samples, who was officially announced as the new RB coach on Tuesday.

While that story may seem like it should be over now, the fact remains that Oregon fans were relatively unhappy with Locklyn after his departure, claiming that his move goes directly against his theory of “soft-batch cookies,” or weak-minded players who hop into the transfer portal as soon as things get tough.

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Duck fans have claimed that this is exactly what Locklyn did by leaving Oregon, and in his introductory press conference on Wednesday, he admitted that he heard a lot of the backlash from Oregon fans.

“I’ve been called everything but a child of God by the people back at the other place that I just left,” Locklyn said. “I’m telling you, if I let you in my DMs, there’s some great comedians out here that are sending me tons of cookies. It’s funny.”

Almost a year ago in an interview during Oregon spring practices, Locklyn talked about the soft-batch cookie mantra.

“I tell kids all the time, I don’t coach soft-batch cookies,” Locklyn said then. “If you a soft-batch cookie you got to get away from around me. And they got a bakery for that, guess what it’s called? The transfer portal.”

Now, Locklyn is attempting to clarify his statement that was made almost a year ago.

“The soft-batch cookie thing came from just having the frame of mind, a mental toughness,” Locklyn said on Wednesday at Ohio State. “It had nothing to do with guys getting in the portal or anything. Now most people will say I’m a soft-batch cookie for leaving there, but in actuality, I’m not. It takes great strength to make the decision to leave a place. A weak-minded person wouldn’t be able to make the decisions that I make. It took great strength to do that.”

There seems to be some other point of contention as well, with Locklyn opening up about his name, and what Lanning would call him at Oregon. When asked what his preferred title would be at Ohio State, the former Ducks’ RB coach claimed that his former boss might have tried to take shots at him in Eugene by what he called him.

“I prefer to be called Lock,” Locklyn said. “I know coach Lanning would call me — I thought maybe trying to take a shot at me every now and then while I was out there at Oregon — he called me Carlos. But I prefer to be called coach Lock.”

While we can’t determine whether or not that’s true, I think everyone can agree in saying that we are ready to move on from this and focus on football for the remainder of the spring season.

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Dan Lanning details why Ra’Shaad Samples was the right hire at Oregon

Dan Lanning had to work hard to hold back his excitement about the Ra’Shaad Samples hire on Tuesday afternoon.

Just over a week ago, the news came out that former Oregon Ducks running backs coach Carlos Locklyn was leaving Eugene to take a job with the Ohio State Buckeyes.

The timing was unfortunate, as it left the Ducks without an RB coach just as they resumed spring practices following spring break. Talking to head coach Dan Lanning after the move was announced, though, you could feel a sense of calm confidence that his coaching staff would stay afloat.

“I mean, it’s football. It’s the reality,” Lanning said last week. “Transitions give you an opportunity to get better, so that’s our goal. We’re gonna go get better. We’re going to bring somebody in here who can do a really good job with our organization.”

I’d say mission accomplished.

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On Tuesday morning, the Ducks officially announced the hire of former Arizona State coach Ra’Shaad Samples, naming him the new RB coach and Assistant Head Coach in Eugene. At ASU, Samples spent a year alongside former Oregon OC Kenny Dillingham for a season as the wide receivers coach, and passing game coordinator. Before that, Samples spent a year in the NFL as the running backs coach for the Los Angeles Rams. He was hired by the Rams at age 27, making him the youngest position coach in NFL history.

While Lanning hasn’t personally worked with Samples prior to his time in Eugene, there are past relationships with others on the staff who played a big part in the hire.

“You always lean on relationships of people that know the guys and there’s several guys on our staff that knew Ra’Shaad,” Lanning said on Tuesday. He’s a guy I knew of that I didn’t get to work with personally, but Will (Stein) worked with him and Drew (Mehringer) worked with him in the past.”

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More than just being a very solid position coach who is considered one of the brighter up-and-coming stars in the coaching world, Samples has an elite recruiting track-record in the state of Texas, where Oregon has found a lot of success in the past.

“He’s good at relationships, right? He cares about relationships, and that’s gonna pay off for us in recruiting,” Lanning said. “The pieces that he adds to our program, his experience — even as a young up-and-comer he’s had some great experience — his play as a player and then letting that carry over to his experience the NFL, the multitude of positions that he’s worked with, made him a really great fit for us. Somebody we’re really excited about.”

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While Samples was with the team on Tuesday and coaching the RB room, there may be some time before he is fully up to speed and ready to take over that position group as his own. That won’t stop him from diving into the depend and getting the process started.

“I’ve said it here before, you can’t eat an elephant in one bite,” Lanning said. “So he’s gonna learn as quickly as he can. On his flight up, he’s watching installs on the plane. He’s getting ready to roll. It’s gonna be a lot of early mornings and late nights for him right now, but I know he embraces that. And we’ll get him caught up as fast as we can.”

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Oregon Ducks to hire Arizona State’s Ra’Shaad Samples as new RB coach

Welcome Ra’Shaad Samples to Eugene, the Oregon Ducks’ new RB coach.

It didn’t take long for Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks to find a new running backs coach after Carlos Locklyn left to join the Ohio State Buckeyes at the start of April.

Sources tell me that the Ducks will officially be hiring Ra’Shaad Samples, the former running backs coach for the Arizona State Sun Devils. The first report came from 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz.

Samples currently holds the title of pass-game coordinator and wide receivers coach at ASU, but he was previously the youngest RB coach in the NFL, working under Sean McVay with the Los Angeles Rams as a 28-year-old.

Samples also spent time with SMU and TCU at the start of his coaching career.

While Lanning said after the coaching position opened up that the team wasn’t in any rush to hire someone, it’s not hard to see that their ability to move relatively quickly by bringing in Samples is of benefit to the players on the roster, who are currently in the middle of spring practices. You also have to consider the fact that the transfer portal opens up in less than two weeks, so having a new coach in place before that is never a bad idea.

We will see when Samples gets to town, and how quickly he can settle in at Oregon and take over what looks like an incredibly strong backfield with Jordan James, Noah Whittington, Jayden Limar, Jay Harris, and Da’Jaun Riggs.

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Big Ten coacing carousel continues as Ohio State poaches Oregon running back coach

The Ohio State Buckeyes have poached a running backs coach from another Big Ten program.

The Ohio State Buckeyes were recently tasked with replacing running backs coach Tony Alford who left the program for archrival Michigan. 

In return, the Buckeyes have decided to poach a running backs coach from another Big Ten program or, technically, a future Big Ten program. 

The Buckeyes have hired Oregon assistant Carlos Locklyn, who is heading to Columbus after a brief stint with the Ducks as their running backs coach. Locklyn has also spent time at Western Kentucky, Florida State, and Memphis. He also spent several years coaching high school football before making the jump to the collegiate level in 2017. 

With the Buckeyes, Locklyn will have a highly talented running back room to work with, headlined by names such as TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, who transferred into the program from Ole Miss this offseason. 

In 2023, the Buckeyes were 11-2 overall, including 8-1 in conference play. Their lone loss came in their regular-season finale to Michigan. The Buckeyes also lost their Cotton Bowl matchup against Missouri 14-3. Last season, the Buckeyes’ offense averaged 138.8 rushing yards per game and 4.2 yards per carry. TreVeyon Henderson led all rushers with 926 yards on 156 carries, an average of 5.9 yards per carry. He also had 11 touchdowns. 

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Carlos Locklyn named Ohio State running backs coach

In case you missed it. Ohio State welcomed a new running backs coach to Columbus! #GoBucks

It’s official.

Ohio State has a new running backs coach, and his name is Carlos Locklyn. After a few days of rumors surrounding Locklyn, the move was made official on Monday evening. Locklyn replaces Tony Alford who left for Michigan earlier in March.

Locklyn has spent the last couple of years in Oregon in the same position where he has excelled. In 2022, The Ducks ranked sixth in the country in rushing yards per carry at 5.52 and then did even better in 2023 moving the rushing attack all the way up to No. 3 nationally with a 5.91 average.

Locklyn seemed happy in Eugene recently signing a contract extension to stay with Oregon earlier in the offseason. However, the pull of Ohio State seemed to be too much. He has signed a two-year contract to come to Columbus and OSU will pay a $366,667 buyout to Oregon to complete the transaction.

Relatively inexperienced, Locklyn started as a running backs coach in 2021 at Western Kentucky. Before that, he spent time working his way up from weight room assistant, to offensive analyst, to director of high school relations at Memphis and Florida State. He was a running back in the Mid-90s for Tennesee Chattanooga and then began coaching in the high school ranks before making the jump to college.

Locklyn will take over one of the most experienced and talented running back rooms in all of college football.

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Dan Lanning details what he’s searching for in new Oregon RB coach

“I want people that want to be here, and grow here at Oregon.”

The coaches hiring cycle in the world of college football usually takes place earlier in the offseason, generally during the months of January and February.

Because of recent events, though — Michigan poaching Ohio State, causing the Buckeyes to poach the Oregon Ducks — Dan Lanning is getting a taste of the spring hiring cycle in 2024.

Running backs coach Carlos Locklyn left Eugene on Monday night to accept a job with the Ohio State Buckeyes. Now, this leaves Oregon in a position where they are looking to hire a new RB coach during the same period of time where players are on the field practicing during the spring season.

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Does that timing act as a disadvantage? Maybe, but the way that Lanning puts it, the Ducks are sturdy enough to handle the transition.

“The reality is we’re a well-oiled machine right now,” Lanning said on Tuesday afternoon. “We’ve got guys that really do a good job in that room. So it’s about getting it right it’s not about sprinting to a date.  We don’t have to have somebody tomorrow.”

In the meantime, there are a number of coaches on the staff who are well-equipped to help at the RB position. Lanning mentioned that both graduate assistant Jack Smith and offensive analyst Koa Ka’ai have been doing a great job thus far in that RB room.

Going forward, though, there are a few things that Lanning is specifically looking for in the next RB coach he hires.

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“It’s just the same thing we’ve looked for every coach,” Lanning said. “What’s important is relationships, guys that connect with players, guys that can develop a position, guys that can recruit and retain talent on our team and more importantly, anything people that fit right it’s about the fit.”

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While the coach at the position may change, what doesn’t evaporate overnight is the legacy of running backs at Oregon, and the standard that has been set over decades of high-level play. Lanning wants someone who desires to continue that tradition.

“At the end of the day, here’s what I want: I want people that want to be here, and grow here at Oregon, right?” Lanning said. “We’ve got an unbelievable situation. How long have backs been good at Oregon? You guys can think of the names of the guys that have played here at Oregon. Whether it’s De’Anthony or LaMichael or Jonathan Stewart, there’s been a long history. We got some really good backs on this team right now. So I’m worried about who wants to be here what we’re going to be doing moving forward.”

Over the next few days and weeks, we will watch as the coaching search continues, but it’s very apparent in the mean time that Lanning and the Ducks are in no rush to make a hire.

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Dan Lanning discusses departure of Carlos Locklyn, where team goes from here

Dan Lanning discussed the departure of Carlos Locklyn, and where Oregon goes from here.

In an offseason full of success for the Oregon Ducks football program, Carlos Locklyn’s departure is a blemish that stands out. The former Oregon RB coach is headed to Ohio State, a team that looks primed to be one of Oregon’s chief rivals with the Ducks joining the Big Ten this season.

After practice on Tuesday, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning answered questions from the media, several of which were about Locklyn’s departure.

“I mean, it’s football,” Lanning said. “It’s the reality. You know, Carlos did an unbelievable job for us.”

With Locklyn leaving at the time that he did, it leaves the Ducks in a precarious position as they sit in the middle of their spring football schedule.

“We’re gonna go get better. We’re going to bring someone in here that can do a really good job with our organization. We’re moving on, excited for the next move.”

Obviously, a focus for Lanning and the coaching staff in the coming weeks will be replacing Locklyn, and Lanning says they’ll be emphasizing making a quality hire, rather than a quick one.

“The urgency is to get it right,” Lanning said “You’re not in a hurry to do anything wrong. It’s about getting it right, it’s not about getting it fast.”

“The reality is we’re a well-oiled machine right now. We’ve got guys that really do a good job in that room. So it’s about getting it right it’s not about sprinting to a date. We don’t have to have somebody tomorrow.”

In Locklyn’s two seasons as the Ducks’ RB coach, Oregon’s backs excelled. Bucky Irving, a transfer from Minnesota whom Locklyn had a big role in recruiting, rushed for 1000+ yards in both seasons, and the entire Ducks RB room averaged 6.18 yards per carry.

The spring transfer portal opens on April 16th and closes on April 30th, and while it is unlikely that any Ducks’ RBs would transfer because of Locklyn’s leaving, it is something to look out for. Noah Whittington came to Oregon with Locklyn from Western Kentucky, so he is the most likely transfer candidate, but I still think it’s unlikely.

Oregon will host Ohio State on October 12th, 2024, in Autzen Stadium for the two teams’ first matchup since their thriller at the Horseshoe in 2021, when the Ducks defeated the Buckeyes 35-28. The October matchup has already been billed as a game-of-the-year candidate, but with the added wrinkle of Carlos Locklyn changing schools, the game could take on added significance.

SOURCES: Oregon RB coach Carlos Locklyn to leave Ducks for Ohio State

Oregon RB coach Carlos Locklyn is heading to Ohio State, per source.

The Oregon Ducks are seeing a drastic change in their coaching staff just as the spring football season gets set to resume, with running backs coach Carlos Locklyn leaving Eugene for another job.

Locklyn will be accepting a position with the Ohio State Buckeyes to become the new running backs coach, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. Locklyn spent two years in Eugene with the Ducks, and helped develop players like Bucky Irving, Noah Whittington, and Jordan James, among others.

Both 247Sports and ESPN reported the news earlier on Monday.

Just a couple of weeks ago, Locklyn signed an extension with the Ducks that was meant to keep him in Eugene through the 2026 season, but the Buckeyes offered the RB coach something he could not pass on, upping his salary with a new contract.

The RB coaching position at Ohio State opened up earlier this offseason after the Buckeyes’ RB coach Tony Alford left to become the new run-game coordinator for the rival Michigan Wolverines, joining new head coach Sherrone More in Ann Arbor.

While the Ducks had what was expected to be one of the most talented RB rooms in the nation this year, with James, Whittington, Jayden Limar, and Jay Harris, Locklyn is now stepping into a prime situation, with the Buckeyes getting top Ole Miss transfer Quinshon Judkins in the transfer portal this year, to go along with guys like TreVeyon Henderson, and Miyan Williams.

Going forward, we will see where Dan Lanning goes to fill this coaching position, but the Ducks will likely want to move fast as spring ball rolls on, resuming on Tuesday.

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RUMOR: Ohio State linked to running backs coach

RUMOR: Ohio State linked to RB coach #GoBucks

In case rumor within the title wasn’t capitalized enough, it needs to be reiterated that Ohio State has not made any official announcement about filling the running back coach position. However, a decision will likely be made soon and there is no doubt that Ryan Day has reached out to some potential candidates.

We don’t need to rehash and discuss Tony Alford and his departure. By now everyone in Big Ten country is aware Alford has departed to The Team Up North in the middle of spring practices. Now with this running back group filled with a ton of experience and two All-American caliber backs, this position group is the most ideal to be dealing with this kind of adversity.

Rumor has it that one name keeps reemerging in Carlos Locklyn, who has been the running back coach at Oregon since 2022. Before arriving at Oregon, Locklyn was the running backs coach for Western Kentucky and held a recruiting role for Florida State.

Again nothing official has been announced, but this is something to keep an eye on.

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