The decision wasn’t a hard one, even if it’s difficult leaving a storied program that happens to be your alma mater. Chris Samuels, though, just wants to coach -- and he wanted to return to the place he now calls home.
So Samuels left Alabama, where he was in player development this past season, to become the head coach at Osbourn High School in Manassas, Virginia. Another factor: His wife, Monique, is due in June with their second child (his son, Christopher Ramon Samuels II turns 3 on Saturday).
“College is very demanding from a time standpoint,” Samuels said. “If I’m going to make that sacrifice, I wanted to be a position coach, but I chose to step down and I can have family time and still enjoy coaching.”
And, yes, he said the Northern Virginia area is home for him now (he lives in Vienna) because he’s “been up here for too long.”
Samuels recently earned his degree from Alabama, where he also spent two years running the scout team offensive line before taking over the player development job this past season. But his heart was in coaching, not the development side.
Besides, Samuels enjoyed his one year as the offensive coordinator at Blount High School in Mobile, Alabama (they won a region championship). Because he had spent one summer interning with the Redskins while Mike Shanahan was the coach, he installed Kyle Shanahan’s offense.
At Osbourn, he’ll incorporate parts of that offense with what he learned at Alabama and watching Auburn when it comes to spread attacks.
“I feel I’ll be good enough one day if I try to take a leap back into the pros or college, I can get back there,” he said. “But right now I’ll concentrate on these kids.”
Sure enough, before he answered his phone Samuels had been busy studying his new team on Hudl.com. He’s also hoping to serve as an instructional assistant.
“I don’t want to just show up at 1 o’clock every day,” Samuels said. “I need to be in the building and show a presence so the kids can see me every day, and I can monitor those guys and make sure they do the right things.”
And, yes, the six-time Pro Bowl left tackle also will coach the line. But it’s not just the left tackle who will be in for scrutiny.
“The whole line will be in for a treat,” he said. “I’ll get after them. We have a smaller line, but guys are eager to learn and hungry.”
Samuels said he didn’t have a chance to watch the Redskins play, mainly because, as he said, there’s not a lot of downtime while working for Alabama’s Nick Saban.
But the 37-year-old Samuels, who retired after the 2009 season because of neck issues, is sure of one thing: He hasn’t exorcised all of his football demons.
“I’m enjoying my family, but I still miss the game,” he said. “I sit back and think, I can still do that. Give me four or five months to get in shape. But I’m too afraid I’d take one more hit on my neck.”