Sam Houston is hiring a football coach for the first time since 2014 after news broke that K.C. Keeler was accepting the job at Temple. Keeler’s buyout is $1.3 million and he made $625,000 in 2024. He was 97-39 in 11 seasons in Huntsville, capturing three conference title and a national championship.

Sam Houston athletic director Bobby Williams has hired three coaches in his long tenure for the Bearkats, and he’s hit on two of three. His first hire was Todd Whitten in 2005 after Ron Randleman stepped away. His next two hires were Willie Fritz, now head coach at nearby Houston, and Keeler. Fritz and Keeler combined for a 137-54 record since 2010. 

That suggests the Bearkats will lead a search to find an experienced, veteran replacement with head coaching experience, even if that’s at a lower level. On the other hand, this is a new time for Sam Houston. Now an FBS program, the Kats could look for a young upstart like Eric Morris (North Texas), G.J. Kinne (Texas State), and Scotty Walden (UTEP). 

SIX FINALISTS (UPDATED 12-12, 2024)

Ra'Shaad Samples – Samples is a future star in the coaching industry. At only 30 years old, he’s worked his way into the assistant head coach gig at No. 1-ranked Oregon. He’s also worked at SMU, Texas, Houston, and with the Los Angeles Rams. His father, Reginald, is a Texas coaching legend who has won multiple Class 6A titles at Duncanville south of Dallas. 

Tim Daoust – The coaching veteran is currently the defensive line coach at Pitt in the ACC. He was the special teams coordinator and defensive end/outside linebackers coach at East Carolina from 2021-23 and was at Syracuse for five seasons starting in 2011. His tie to Sam Houston dates to 2019-20 when he was the assistant head coach in Huntsville while leading a defensive line that helped the Bearkats lead the FCS in run defense, third-down defense, and tackles for loss. 

Matt Powledge – Athletic director Bobby Williams mentioned Sam Houston ties as a determining factor in the upcoming decision on a head coach. You won’t find many people prouder of their Bearkat roots than Powledge, who is a Huntsville native and former captain of the Sam Houston football team. He’s coached for Dave Aranda, Mark Stoops, and K.C. Keeler.

Phil Longo – Longo is in the mix because of his ties to Sam Houston. He was a successful offensive coordinator for the Bearkats from 2014-16 as his offenses set records and led Sam deep into the FCS playoffs. He’s since gained experience as a P4 OC at stops like Ole Miss and North Carolina. He was most recently at Wisconsin. 

Shawn Bell – is currently the quarterback coach at the University of Houston. His brother, Brian, played quarterback at Sam. Shawn was a quarterback at Baylor before beginning his coaching career in the high school ranks before returning to Waco as an offensive analyst in 2017. He’s worked with the offensive line, tight ends, and quarterbacks during his time as a college coach. 

Curtis Luper – is a Texas native who played at Sherman High School in the 1980s before playing running back at Oklahoma State with Thurman Thomas and Barry Sanders. He completed his eligibility at SFA while earning second-team All-Southland Conference in 1993 after serving as an air traffic controller for the U.S. Army. He was at TCU from 2013-2019 in various roles and is currently the running backs coach at Mizzou.