Sam Washington
Sam Washington (born March 7, 1960) is an American football coach and former defensive back. He is the head coach at North Carolina A&T State University, a job he has held since 2018.
A native of Tampa, Florida, Washington played college football at Mississippi Valley State as a cornerback. He joined the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 1982 and spent four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and a short time with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Washington began coaching in 1987, starting as a defensive backs coach at Bethune–Cookman. He went on to hold defensive coordinator and assistant head coach roles at several schools, including North Carolina Central, Mississippi Valley State, and Grambling State. He earned a reputation for turning around defenses at multiple programs.
In 2018, Washington was promoted to head coach at North Carolina A&T. He quickly built a strong program, guiding the team to a 10–2 season, a MEAC co-championship, the 2018 Celebration Bowl title, and the black college football national championship. He was named MEAC Coach of the Year that year. The Aggies repeated success in 2019 with a 9–3 record, another MEAC title, and a Celebration Bowl victory.
The 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, NC A&T moved from the MEAC to the Big South Conference and finished the season 5–6. Washington is respected for improving defenses and building a competitive program at North Carolina A&T.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 07:52 (CET).