Moving in the Right Direction

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Jarred Samples has been a part of UD's community for many years, playing golf and basketball for the Crusaders before earning a Bachelor's degree in History in 2001. Courtesy of UD Athletics.

Athletic Director Jarred Samples on his Career as a Coach and Administrator

While most students and athletes at the University of Dallas know Jarred Samples as the Director of Athletics, they might not understand just how long he has been a part of the UD community as a student athlete and a coach. 

When asked about how he came to be involved with the university, Samples said “I had never heard of the University of Dallas until I received a recruiting letter from the men’s basketball coach.  I was intrigued by the location and started doing research.  I was impressed with the academic reputation of UD… I knew I could have a great overall experience here.”

In his career as a college basketball coach, Samples says that his proudest moment came from coaching the 2018-19 men’s basketball team as they made it to the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Championships. 

Speaking about the experience of making it into the championship game, Samples said, “It was an unbelievable atmosphere and a fun game to be a part of.  Although we lost a heartbreaker in double OT,  I was proud of how hard our guys competed and represented UD.”

Samples’ long-term goal is that Athletics at UD can become a “rallying point” for the university. His concerns are not just with the statistical success of the teams, but more importantly with the moral character of the student athletes.

“Their collegiate athletic experience should build their character and develop their understanding of commitment, teamwork, sacrifice, discipline, integrity, time management, perseverance and humility,” Samples said.“These qualities will enable them to be successful no matter what they choose to do in the future.”

In Samples’ experience, the greatest challenge in the career of a coach is balancing your time between your work and your family responsibilities.

He said “As a coach, you want your team to be the best it can be.  Coaches invest a lot of time and energy into their job.  There is travel for road games, film to watch so you know what your team needs to improve on, and recruiting, which never ends.  It can be tough to flip your switch off at home because you are consumed by trying to help your team be better.”

While Samples enjoys getting to work with a larger number of athletes in his role as Athletic Director, he misses one critical aspect of his former position: the personal relationships built by coaching. 

Reflecting on this point, Samples said “People ask me all the time, what do you miss most about coaching?  The answer is easy.  I miss the day-to-day relationships you build with players as a coach.  You get to see their growth not only as players but as people.  They become an extension of your family.  As an athletic director, you cannot replicate that.”

Jarred Samples’ work as the Athletic Director is absolutely critical to the Athletics Department. 

While departmental oversight may lack the personal touch of coaching a team, the work performed by Samples is a necessary precondition for the coaches, players and administrators to foster a good athletic environment.

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