Lanear Sampson joined Scotty Walden’s staff as its pass-game coordinator and wide receivers coach in June 2022. Sampson was promoted to co-offensive coordinator, while remaining the wide receivers coach, in February 2023.
In his first season at Austin Peay, Sampson helped wide receiver Drae McCray post just the fourth 1,000-yard receiving season in program history with 76 receptions for 1,021 yards. McCray finished the 2022 season with 14 more catches and 253 more yards than any other receiver in the ASUN Conference.
Before coming to Clarksville, Sampson spent the 2021 season as an offensive analyst on Dino Baber’s staff at Syracuse and the 2020 season as an offensive quality control coach for Josh Heupel at UCF. Prior to that, Sampson had a pair of one-year stints as the wide receivers coach at McNeese State in 2019 and Missouri State in 2018 after making his first stop on Babers’ staff at Syracuse as a graduate assistant in 2016-17.
A Mesquite, Texas native, Sampson earned a bachelor’s degree in speech communication from Baylor in 2012 before earning his master’s degree in instructional design, development, and evaluation from Syracuse in 2018.
SAMPSON’S CAREER SUMMARY
Austin Peay (2020-23)
2023: Elevated to co-offensive coordinator in February.
2022: Named the Governors pass-game coordinator and wide receivers coach in June. In his first season at Austin Peay, Sampson guided sophomore receiver Drae McCray to just the fourth 1,000-yard receiving season in program history. A HERO Sports Sophomore All-America and All-ASUN Conference selection, McCray led the ASUN in receptions (76) and receiving yards (1,021), increasing his production by 23 catches and 154 yards from his freshman season in 2021 with Sampson’s guidance. Sampson’s receiving core had five players catch multiple touchdowns with McCray (9), James Burns (5), and Trey Goodman (4) ranking second, seventh, and ninth, respectively, in the ASUN in receiving touchdowns. With Sampson as pass-game coordinator, the Governors completed 214 passes for 2,580 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2022 – all three marks equaled the fourth-best single-season team totals in program history. The Govs 243.5 passing yards per game ranked 43rd in the FCS and third in the ASUN while their 22 passing touchdowns were tied for second in the conference.
SYRACUSE (2021)
2021: An offensive analyst for head coach Dino Babers – who was Sampson’s wide receivers coach at Baylor from 2008-11. The Orange posted the 16th-best rushing offense (213.5 ypg) in the NCAA.
CENTRAL FLORIDA (2020)
2020: Was a part of one of the top offenses in the country as a quality control coach. The Knights ranked second in the NCAA in total offense (568.1 ypg), fourth in passing offense (357.4 ypg), seventh in first downs (283), and eighth in scoring offense (42.2 ppg). Quarterback Dillon Gabriel led the country in passing yards per game (357 ypg), ranked second in total offense (373.9 ypg), fourth in passing touchdowns (32), and fifth in passing yards (3,570). Knights’ wide receiver Marlon Williams also ranked third in receptions per game (8.9), fifth in receiving yards per game (129.9), seventh in receiving touchdowns (10), and ninth in receiving yards (1,039).
MCNEESE STATE (2019)
2019: In his lone season as the wide receivers coach in Lake Charles, receivers Trevor Begue and Cyron Sutton hauled in 10 and nine touchdowns, respectively, which ranked fourth and fifth in the Southland Conference. Sutton was a Second Team All-Southland Conference selection, setting the single-season record with 67 catches with the second-most yards in program history at 950. Sutton also caught a touchdown in seven-straight games, setting the McNeese record for consecutive games with a scoring grab.
MISSOURI STATE (2018)
2018: In his first position as a wide receivers coach, Sampson had four receivers make 30-plus catches with all four recording over 375 receiving yards on the season. Tyler Currie led the Bears with five touchdowns grabs and was named an All-Missouri Valley Football Conference Honorable Mention.
SYRACUSE (2016-17)
2016-17: Spent two years on Dino Babers’ staff at Syracuse as a graduate assistant and quality control coach while earning his master’s degree.
PROFESSIONAL PLAYING CAREER (2013-16)
Lanear Sampson was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2013. He also spent time with the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers before he signed with the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League in 2015.
COLLEGIATE PLAYING CAREER (2008-12)
A member of the senior class that turned around the Baylor program, Sampson helped the Bears reach three consecutive bowl games for the first time in school history. Baylor appeared in the 2010 Texas Bowl and recorded back-to-back wins against Washington in the 2011 Alamo Bowl and UCLA in the 2012 Holiday Bowl with Sampson on the roster.
Sampson finished his career fifth on Baylor’s all-time receptions list (165) and 10th in career receiving yardage (1,905). He caught a pass in 43 straight games from 2010-12 and earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors as a senior. Sampson had 52 receptions for 646 yards and six touchdowns in his final campaign to earn a spot in the 2013 Texas vs. The Nation All-Star Game. Sampson also was a two-time Academic All-Big 12 selection during his time in Waco.
