SMU assistant coach Ra'Shaad Samples will be back on the Hilltop for his second season since coming over from Texas last summer, rebuffing multiple overtures from Power Five programs to remain with the Mustangs, who are coming off a 10-2 regular season. The Dallas native confirmed the news to Pony Stampede after his tweet Wednesday morning alluded to the decision.

“People have been reaching out. Schools have showed interest or called. I’m not even entertaining anything," Samples told Pony Stampede. "I’m looking forward to building something at SMU, finishing strong in recruiting and most importantly, getting a bowl win for these seniors.”

"Couldn’t be more excited about SMU Football and what it’s doing in the city right now! Ready to take over the #TripleD," Samples said in the tweet. "We’re just getting started. If you from Dallas get on board. #PonyUpDallas #BornandRaised."

Head coach Sonny Dykes quote tweeted the tweet with a simple, "Boom," from Denzel Washington's role in Training Day. Ahead of the SMU-Tulane game, Dykes said it's a good thing when assistants are wanted by other programs, but he was hopeful they'd stay in place with the direction of the program.

"When you have success, you hope your coaches have opportunities to go places if that's what they want to do and that's the best thing for their family," Dykes said last month. "We'll see how that plays out. I think you always have a backup plan, you have guys in mind that you'd hire if you lose somebody. You develop a lot of good, young coaches in your program like we have. We have a lot of really good, young coaches in our program right now that we can move into different roles.

"I think our coaches really love coaching our players, I think they like working at SMU, I think they feel like we're going to have a chance to have a very good football team in our program moving forward and so I think it's going to take something pretty special to get those guys to leave."

Samples was a rumored candidate to join Texas' coaching staff, which is seeing a major overhaul after a disappointing season. With Samples' connections to Dallas, having starred at Skyline High and with his father being the head coach at Duncanville, he's an in-demand assistant for many Power Five programs looking to make a splash in the metroplex.

When Samples was hired by SMU for his first on-field assistant role, he was thrilled to get the opportunity in his own backyard and to do so with Dykes, who has prioritized the city and building SMU's brand as "Dallas' team."

"I felt like I needed to start where I was familiar with kids, where I had a relationship with kids and it was Dallas," Samples said during fall camp. "I feel like I have a relationship with all these kids, all the people here, so much pride in this city. I got so much pride for the city and I think it can be great. I think we should build it up. I think coach Dykes is doing a really great job of building it up. I think he cares. He's passionate about it."

SMU is awaiting its bowl destination after its first 10-win season since 1984, finishing 10-2 in the regular season thanks to a record-setting offense.

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