# Sam Washington > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sam_Washington > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sam_Washington.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Washington > Source revision: 1321339224 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Samuel Lee Washington Jr.** (born March 7, 1960) is an American [football](/source/American_football) coach and former [defensive back](/source/Defensive_back) who was the head football coach at [North Carolina A&T State University](/source/North_Carolina_A%26T_Aggies_football). Originally from [Tampa, Florida](/source/Tampa,_Florida), Washington played college football at [Mississippi Valley State](/source/Mississippi_Valley_State_Delta_Devils_football). After signing with the [Pittsburgh Steelers](/source/Pittsburgh_Steelers) as an undrafted free agent, he played four seasons in the [National Football League](/source/National_Football_League) (NFL) for the Steelers and [Cincinnati Bengals](/source/Cincinnati_Bengals) from 1982 to 1985. Washington has been a football coach since 1987, beginning as defensive backs coach at [Bethune–Cookman](/source/Bethune%E2%80%93Cookman_Wildcats_football). He later held defensive coordinator positions at multiple other historically black universities, including [North Carolina Central](/source/North_Carolina_Central_Eagles_football), North Carolina A&T, Mississippi Valley State, and [Grambling State](/source/Grambling_State_Tigers_football). Washington turned around a struggling defensive unit at Mississippi Valley State to one of the best in the [Southwestern Athletic Conference](/source/Southwestern_Athletic_Conference) and elevated the Grambling State defense to the upper tier of [NCAA Division I FCS](/source/NCAA_Division_I_FCS). After seven seasons as defensive coordinator at North Carolina A&T, Washington became head coach in 2018. His first two seasons had a cumulative 19–5 record, back-to-back [black college football national championships](/source/Black_college_football_national_championship), and top 25 FCS rankings. After the 2020 season was canceled [due to COVID-19](/source/Impact_of_the_COVID-19_pandemic_on_sports), the football program moved from its longtime home in the [Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference](/source/Mid-Eastern_Athletic_Conference) to the [Big South Conference](/source/Big_South_Conference) in 2021. ## Early life and college career Born and raised in [Tampa, Florida](/source/Tampa,_Florida), Washington graduated from [Tampa Bay Technical High School](/source/Tampa_Bay_Technical_High_School) in 1978.[1] Washington then attended [Mississippi Valley State University](/source/Mississippi_Valley_State_University), where he played at [cornerback](/source/Cornerback) for the [Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils football](/source/Mississippi_Valley_State_Delta_Devils_football) team.[2] ## Pro football career Washington signed with the [Pittsburgh Steelers](/source/Pittsburgh_Steelers) as an undrafted free agent after the [1982 NFL draft](/source/1982_NFL_draft). He played four games in 1982 as a rookie. Then in 1983, Washington played all 16 games as a reserve and had his first career interception. Washington played and started 14 games in 1984 with a career high six interceptions for 139 yards including two returned for touchdowns.[1] After seven games with the Steelers in 1985, Washington was traded to the [Cincinnati Bengals](/source/Cincinnati_Bengals), where he played eight games and had a fumble recovery.[1] ## Coaching career ### Assistant coach (1987–2017) From 1987 to 1991, Washington was defensive backs coach at [Bethune–Cookman](/source/Bethune%E2%80%93Cookman_Wildcats_football), helping Bethune–Cookman win the 1988 [Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference](/source/Mid-Eastern_Athletic_Conference) (MEAC) championship.[2] In 1992, Washington was assistant head coach, defensive coordinator, and special teams coordinator at [Johnson C. Smith University](/source/Johnson_C._Smith_University), where he was also the head track and field coach.[2] Then from 1993 to 2000, Washington was defensive coordinator and assistant head coach at [North Carolina Central](/source/North_Carolina_Central_Eagles_football).[2] Washington's first job at [North Carolina A&T](/source/North_Carolina_A%26T_Aggies_football) was in 2001 as special teams coordinator under head coach [Bill Hayes](/source/Bill_Hayes_(American_football)). Then from 2002 to 2006, Washington returned to his alma mater as assistant head coach, defensive coordinator, and defensive backs coach at [Mississippi Valley State](/source/Mississippi_Valley_State_Delta_Devils_football), turning around one of the worst defenses in the [Southwestern Athletic Conference](/source/Southwestern_Athletic_Conference) into the second best.[2] From 2007 to 2010, Washington was defensive backs coach at [Grambling State Tigers](/source/Grambling_State_Tigers_football) under head coach [Rod Broadway](/source/Rod_Broadway). The 2007 Grambling State team had the no. 12 total defense in all of NCAA Division I FCS. Then in 2008, Grambling State was the FCS leader in turnover margin and third in scoring defense.[2] Following Broadway, Washington returned to North Carolina A&T in 2011 to become defensive coordinator and secondary coach, positions he would hold for seven years.[2] ### North Carolina A&T head coach (2018–2022) Following the retirement of Broadway, Washington was promoted to head coach at North Carolina A&T on January 9, 2018.[2] In his first season in [2018](/source/2018_North_Carolina_A%26T_Aggies_football_team), Washington led A&T to a 10–2 record. On September 2, North Carolina A&T defeated [East Carolina](/source/2018_East_Carolina_Pirates_football_team) 28–23, marking the third straight season A&T defeated an [FBS](/source/NCAA_Division_I_FBS) opponent.[3] A&T's Twitter video of Washington's postgame locker room speech was widely shared; it ended with Washington remarking, "tell 'em to bring me my money."[4] North Carolina A&T received a $330,000 payment from East Carolina for the game.[5] A&T finished the season with a MEAC co-championship, [2018 Celebration Bowl](/source/2018_Celebration_Bowl) title, [black college football national championship](/source/Black_college_football_national_championship), and year-end rankings in [both FCS polls](/source/2018_NCAA_Division_I_FCS_football_rankings) (no. 12 STATS, no. 11 AFCA Coaches). Then in [2019](/source/2019_North_Carolina_A%26T_Aggies_football_team), A&T went 9–3 for a second straight MEAC title. The team went on to win the [2019 Celebration Bowl](/source/2019_Celebration_Bowl) and defended their black college national championship as a result.[2] North Carolina A&T did not play in the 2020 season. In July 2020, the MEAC suspended all fall sports due to [COVID-19](/source/Impact_of_the_COVID-19_pandemic_on_sports).[6] Although a spring 2021 season was an option, the MEAC declined to hold a football championship, so A&T decided not to compete at all in what would have been the last season before the athletics program would move to the [Big South Conference](/source/Big_South_Conference).[7] In [2021](/source/2021_North_Carolina_A%26T_Aggies_football_team), A&T's first season in the Big South, A&T finished 5–6. ## Head coaching record - conf champs in 2019 due to NCAA sanctions on Florida A&M ## References 1. ["Sam Washington"](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WashSa20.htm). Pro Football Reference. Retrieved January 10, 2022. 1. ["Sam Washington"](https://ncataggies.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/sam-washington/410). North Carolina A&T. Retrieved January 10, 2022. 1. Walker, Richard (December 12, 2018). ["National title pursuit for North Carolina A&T"](https://www.gastongazette.com/story/sports/college/football/2018/12/12/national-title-pursuit-for-north-carolina-aampt/6672457007/). *Gaston Gazette*. Retrieved January 10, 2022. 1. Rashad, Kenn (September 3, 2018). ["N.C. A&T coach to team after win: 'Tell them to bring me my money' – (Video)"](https://hbcusports.com/2018/09/03/n-c-at-coach-to-team-after-win-tell-them-to-bring-me-my-money-video/). *HBCUsports.com*. Retrieved January 10, 2022. 1. Rovell, Darren (September 7, 2018). "North Carolina A&T got paid $330,000 last week by East Carolina & beat them. Awesome postgame line from coach Sam Washington, who this year is getting paid less than $330,000". No. 1038055268448448512. Retrieved January 10, 2022. 1. Torok, Jackie (July 16, 2020). ["Pandemic prompts Aggies' athletic conference to suspend all sports for fall semester"](https://www.ncat.edu/news/2020/07/meac-fall-sports.php). North Carolina A&T State University. Retrieved January 10, 2022. 1. ["N.C. A&T Cancels 2021 Spring Season"](https://ncataggies.com/news/2021/2/11/football-n-c-a-t-cancels-2021-spring-season.aspx). North Carolina A&T. February 11, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2022. ## External links - [North Carolina A&T profile](https://ncataggies.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/sam-washington/410) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Sam Washington](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Washington) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Washington?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.