(Story courtesy of University of Dallas Athletics Department)
IRVING, Texas – The University of Dallas announced Jarred Samples as the Athletics Director, effective July 2, 2021. Samples will be elevated from Assistant Athletics Director and takes over for long-time Athletics Director Dick Strockbine, who is retiring.
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Samples brings a wealth of experience to the UD Athletics Department, as a student-athlete, head coach of the men’s basketball program, and administrator. Samples graduated from Dallas in 2001 with a Bachelor of Arts in History. He was the point guard on a talented men’s basketball team, where he lettered four times.
As a coach, Samples led the Crusaders for 13 seasons since 2008 and holds the longest tenure in school history. He also is the winningest coach with 137 victories. Samples guided the Crusaders to seven Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Tournaments. The pinnacle point was an improbable run as the number five seed to the school’s lone SCAC Championship title game vs. host school Texas Lutheran University in 2018-19. Despite falling short, the Crusaders made history playing TLU in the lone double overtime game in the basketball tournament championship. The Crusaders achieved their first SCAC Tournament win in 2014-15 when they hosted at the Maher Center. Samples also in his first two coaching seasons led Dallas to a 2-1 mark in North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) Tournament games.
Samples has the unique distinction of being part of two of the UD men’s basketball’s winningest campaigns in 2000-01 and 2014-15 as a player and coach, respectively.
Beyond his coaching successes on the court which includes mentoring 2017-18 d3hoops.com National Rookie of the Year Spencer Levi and 2010-11 Association of Division III Independents’ (AD3I) Men’s Basketball Rookie-of-the-Year Ross Davidson, Samples has given a nurturing presence to the men’s basketball student-athletes that have walked through the program for over a decade. This includes those with athletic and academic accolades in the SCAC, United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA), National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), AD3I, and NEAC. It goes beyond that, as Samples has prided the program developing well-rounded men that are prepared for success after the student-athletes have earned their diplomas.
Samples can stretch his impact with UD students beyond just men’s basketball. Having served as the department’s Assistant Athletics Director, he has directly supervised student workers for several home game events, as well as managing hiring for other student worker roles within the department. Samples has experience as a conference tournament director for when the university has hosted postseason events. He has managed other administrative duties as they arose. Most recently, Samples has been serving on several committees with UD which has created more links across campus for the alum.
