Sam Washington's coaching journey leads to top job at A&T

GREENSBORO, North Carolina — Sam Washington’s friend and mentor is a tough act to follow.

Rod Broadway, 62, retired as N.C. A&T’s football coach today, leaving with the best winning percentage in school history, after three MEAC championships in four years, after an undefeated season that ranks as the best in the 93 years the Aggies have fielded a team.

Now what?

Now comes Washington, 57, promoted to the top job after seven seasons as the Aggies defensive coordinator and 11 years on Broadway’s coaching staffs at Grambling and A&T.

“You know what?” Washington said. “You don’t even try to fill those shoes. What I need is for us to do what we do, and do it well. … Follow the blueprint to its fullest, and we should be OK.”

Washington was introduced at a news conference this morning at A&T, but the truth is he’s been there all along.

He arrived at Broadway’s side in 2011, taking over a program coming off seven consecutive losing seasons and in an academic mess, staring down the barrel of NCAA sanctions.

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