March 7, 2005

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue head football coach Joe Tiller today announced the hiring of Tony Samuel as the team's defensive ends coach. Samuel replaces Gary Emanuel, who last month was hired as defensive line coach of the San Francisco 49ers.

Samuel, who also will assume Emanuel's recruiting area of the Eastern Seaboard, comes to the Boilermakers from New Mexico State, where he served as head coach from 1997 to 2004. His eight-year record with the Aggies was 34-57, including a 7-5 mark in 2002 that represented the program's most victories since 1967. Samuel is the third-winningest coach in school history. New Mexico State finished 6-5 in 1999, its first winning season since 1992 and merely its third in 32 years. The 2003 NCAA graduation report showed the Aggies ranked tied for 13th in graduation rates among Division I-A programs at 76 percent.

"I have known about Coach Tiller and Purdue University for a long time, and this is a great opportunity for me," Samuel said. "I am excited about working with this staff and the student-athletes and helping continue to build on the great tradition of defensive ends here."

From 1986 to 1996, Samuel coached the outside linebackers and rush ends at Nebraska, his alma mater, for legendary head coach Tom Osborne. He mentored six first team All-Americans and 12 future NFL players, including first-round draft picks Broderick Thomas (1989), Mike Croel (1991), Trev Alberts (1994) and Grant Wistrom (1998). During Samuel's 11 seasons with the Cornhuskers, they were national champions in 1994 and 1995, captured seven Big Eight/Big 12 conference championships, averaged 10 wins per year and played in 11 bowl games.

Samuel coached the defensive line at Stanford for head coach Jack Elway in 1984 and 1985, and served in the same capacity at Western Michigan for head coach Jack Harbaugh in 1982 and 1983. Samuel worked as a student assistant and as a part-time assistant at Nebraska from 1978 to 1981.

"Needless to say, Tony brings a wealth of experience and has an impressive resume," Tiller said. "We are fortunate to hire a coach with his knowledge and stature. He will be a great addition to our staff."

The Boilermakers now have three former head coaches among their nine full-time assistants, with Samuel joining quarterbacks coach Blaine Bennett (Western Oregon) and wide receivers coach/recruiting coordinator Bob DeBesse (Southwest Texas).

A native of Trinidad, West Indies, the 49-year-old Samuel (born Nov. 14, 1955) moved to Jersey City, N.J., at the age of 10. He earned his B.S. degree in education from Nebraska in 1981. He was a member of Osborne's first recruiting class, was a two-year starter at defensive end, played in four bowl games and earned honorable mention All-Big Eight honors as a senior. Samuel and his wife, Tamara, have five children: Travis, Serena, Phillip, Karisa and Terryn. He was elected to the American Football Coaches Association Board of Trustees in 2002.

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