Assistant coach Byron Samuels is another first-year assistant at the University of South Florida who brings impressive credentials with him.
Samuels comes to Tampa after serving the previous five seasons (2003-07) as head coach at Radford University of the Big South Conference. His tenure with the Highlanders included an appearance in the league's tournament championship game and several player and team accolades, both on the court and in the classroom. Samuels was named head coach at RU after serving as an assistant at the school in 2001-02. He also worked at Radford during the 1991-92 campaign.
Prior to Radford, Samuels completed a successful four-year stay at the University of Tennessee as an assistant coach. The Volunteers participated in the NCAA Tournament in each of his seasons there, highlighted by a Sweet 16 appearance in 1999-00. The team earned a share of the league crown that season and was ranked as high as No. 5 in the country. At Tennessee he coached McDonald's All-Americans Tony Harris, Vincent Yarbrough and Charles Hathaway, as well as signing Elgrace Wilborn. Wilborn is now with the Harlem Globetrotters and Yarbrough was drafted by the NBA's Denver Nuggets. He also coached former Volunteer Marcus Haislip who was a lottery pick by the Milwaukee Bucks.
Samuels first head coaching job came at Hampton University. During his two-year stay (1995-96, 1996-97), he helped the Pirates with their transition to NCAA Division I status. His teams broke 14 team and individual records and both of his recruiting classes were ranked No. 1 in the league and led to Hampton’s MEAC championships and NCAA Tournament berths.
His collegiate career also includes assistant coaching stops at Washington State (1994-95) and UNC-Wilmington (1992-93, 1993-94 and 1990-91). While at WSU he signed Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year Shamon Antrum and coached current Major League Baseball pitcher and NBA draft pick Mark Hendrickson. At UNCW he coached NBA draft pick Matt Fish.
He was a graduate assistant coach at Tulsa (1989-90) and Western Carolina (1988-89), where he began his career on the sidelines.
Samuels earned his bachelor's in personnel management from UNC Asheville in 1986 before completing his master's work in education at Western Carolina in 1990. He was also accepted into Virginia Tech’s Doctorate Program for Sociology.
He claimed team MVP honors in basketball at UNCA and was tabbed the school's Male Athlete of the Year as a senior. He also earned a spot on the Big South's first-ever all-tournament team.
The Winston-Salem, N.C., native is married to the former Beverlyn Wright. The couple has two children, a daughter, Eryn, and a son, Evan.
