Eastern Michigan Athletics
Football
Sewell, Sam
vs
Northern Illinois
Oct 11 (Sat)
TBA
Sam Sewell
- Title:
- Assistant Coach/Running Backs
- Email:
- ssewell3@emich.edu
- Phone:
- 734.487.2160
Entering his fifth year at EMU is Sam Sewell, who came to Ypsilanti after spending two years at Indiana State University. Sewell serves as EMU’s running backs coach as well as the Offensive Recruiting Coordinator. He will add the title of special teams coordinator in 2022.
EMU’s offense was one of the best scoring units in the Mid-American Conference regular season in 2021. Averaging 31.0 points per game, EMU put up 372 total points on 46 touchdowns, 15 field goals, and 45 extra points. In total, 14 different Eagles found the pay dirt in 2021, including five players who scored multiple touchdowns. Sewell’s back ran for a net total of nearly 1,600 yards in 2021.
Under the leadership of Sewell, running back Samson Evans led all Eagles and ranked fourth in the league with 12 touchdowns. That number is the seventh-most in a single season by any Eastern player. A mutli-talent back, Evans was also effective in the passing game, as he recorded 19 receptions for 107 yards, the most of any non-pass catcher on the team. Additionally, he aided the Eastern air raid with three passing touchdowns, the most behind starting quarter Ben Bryant.
EMU’s offense was one of the best in the Mid-American Conference on third down. As an offense, Eastern converted 42.4 percent (67-of-158) of its third down tries during the regular season. That number ranked 45th in the nation.
Sewell’s backs helped a 2020 EMU offense that put together a strong acumen in its six 2020 games. Eastern’s scoring unit amassed 2,438 total yards, good for 406.3 yards per game. Only three previous offenses have finished seasons with better yards per game averages (2016 – 455.2, 2008 – 417.5, 1995 – 449.1). Additionally, the team unit finished the season with 23 touchdowns (3.83 TDs per game), which has only been bested by one previous EMU team (1995 – 4.36 TDs per game). EMU averaged 22.33 first downs per game (134 total), which is the sixth-best of any team in program history.
The offense, helped by Sewell, improved over 2019 in points per game (33.17/29.15), rushing yards per game (129.3/122.3), total offense (406.3/405.5), time of possession (29:12/28:33), third down conversions (43.21% 35-for-81 /39.88% 67-of-168 ), fourth down conversions (78.57% 11-for-14/48.0% - 12-for-25), and red zone scoring (100% - 28-of-28/ 77.5% - 38-of-49).
EMU was incredibly effective in the red zone on both sides of the ball this season. Offensively, EMU ranked No. 1 in the nation with a 100 percent red zone scoring clip (tied with Washington State). The Eagles produced points in 28-of-28 trips inside the opponent’s 20-yard line this season, a 22.5 percent improvement over last season’s efficiency. In total, 21 of EMU’s red zone trips resulted in touchdowns. Additionally, the team averaged 4.66 trips to the red zone per game in 2020, a considerable improvement from EMU’s 2019 numbers (3.8 trips per game).
EMU’s offense tallied two games with more than 210 yards on the ground in 2020.
Eastern’s offense was electric in 2019 en route to an appearance in the Quick Lane Bowl, amassing 5,271 total yards, 49 touchdowns, and 379 total points. Overall, the EMU offense set the program record for touchdowns in a season (49), touchdown passes in a season (27), and passes completed in a season (313). Additionally, EMU’s 285 first downs, 379 points, and 5,271 total yards of offense ranked second all-time in program history.
Senior tailback Shaq Vann finished his career ranked sixth in the EMU record books with 24 career touchdowns and seventh all-time with career 2,577 rushing yards. He led the team in 2019 with 715 rushing yards and a team-best eight touchdowns.
Sewell has mentored running backs at three previous stops, including most recently at Indiana State. After an 0-11 season in 2017, the Sycamores completed the biggest turnaround in college football, leading the Sycamores to a 7-4 finish, a third-place finish in the Missouri Valley Football Conference and a No. 22 national ranking. Coming into 2018, Indiana State was picked to finish last in the MVFC. The Sycamores closed out the season winning five-straight games, the first time that ISU had won five-straight in league play since 2012.
Running back Ja’Quan Keys collected 2018 First Team All-MVFC honors after leading the Sycamores with a league-best 13 rushing touchdowns and 135.4 yards per game. He scored multiple touchdowns in five games, including four against Eastern Illinois, and ran for over 100-yards in five games with a season-high 234 rush yards. Keys ranked second nationally in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns and third in rushing yards per game and scoring per game before missing the final four games due to injury.
Sewell helped LeMonte Booker earn Honorable Mention All-MVFC in 2017 after the senior racked up 1,086 all-purpose yards. He led the team and was second in the MVFC during the regular season with 941 yards on the ground and accounted for a team-best five rushing touchdowns. He averaged 85.5 rushing yards per game and finished with 4.7 yards per carry, which was seventh-best in the MVFC among ball carriers with 100-or-more attempts. Booker put together three games with 100-plus yards rushing, including 167 yards against Youngstown State and 104 yards against the top rush defense in the country in North Dakota State.
Prior to coming to Terre Haute, Sewell spent seven seasons at the NCAA Division II level with stops at Colorado State University-Pueblo (2010-12, 2015-16) and McKendree University (2013-14).
CSU-Pueblo had the sixth-best rushing attack nationally in 2015 with 291 yards per game. The tandem of brothers Cameron and Bernard McDondle combined for 3,674 yards to establish the NCAA record for rushing yards by two backs on the same team. Cameron finished third in Harlon Hill Trophy voting after he ranked second nationally in rushing yards, rushing yards per game and rushing touchdowns, while brother Bernard was first in NCAA Division II in rushing yards per carry. The two helped the Pack become just the fourth team in NCAA Division II history to produce both a 2,000-yard rusher and a 1,000 yard-rusher in the same season.
While at McKendree, Sewell coached two all-conference selections one of which led the Great Lakes Valley Conference in yards per carry. Sewell helped improve the special teams unit in nearly every statistical category, which included the Bearcats finishing second in the nation in the regular season in punt return average. He served as the recruiting coordinator for the 2013 class and assisted in the signing of 50 incoming freshmen in back-to-back years under a restricted budget and staff.
Before his time at McKendree, Sewell served as tight ends coach and special teams assistant while at CSU-Pueblo (2010-12). He helped lead the ThunderWolves to back-to-back Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championships in 2011 and 2012 and a combined record of 23-2. He coached All-American tight end Koby Wittek and all-region tight end Roger Pfannenschmid.
Sewell coordinated the kickoff return unit and also oversaw the high school, individual and youth camps. Sewell played tight end at University of Northern Colorado (2006-10) where he was a two-year starter.
Sewell earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in recreation tourism & hospitality in 2010.
Sewell and his wife, Ruth, have two children: Abbi (17) and JuJu (6).
EMU’s offense was one of the best scoring units in the Mid-American Conference regular season in 2021. Averaging 31.0 points per game, EMU put up 372 total points on 46 touchdowns, 15 field goals, and 45 extra points. In total, 14 different Eagles found the pay dirt in 2021, including five players who scored multiple touchdowns. Sewell’s back ran for a net total of nearly 1,600 yards in 2021.
Under the leadership of Sewell, running back Samson Evans led all Eagles and ranked fourth in the league with 12 touchdowns. That number is the seventh-most in a single season by any Eastern player. A mutli-talent back, Evans was also effective in the passing game, as he recorded 19 receptions for 107 yards, the most of any non-pass catcher on the team. Additionally, he aided the Eastern air raid with three passing touchdowns, the most behind starting quarter Ben Bryant.
EMU’s offense was one of the best in the Mid-American Conference on third down. As an offense, Eastern converted 42.4 percent (67-of-158) of its third down tries during the regular season. That number ranked 45th in the nation.
Sewell’s backs helped a 2020 EMU offense that put together a strong acumen in its six 2020 games. Eastern’s scoring unit amassed 2,438 total yards, good for 406.3 yards per game. Only three previous offenses have finished seasons with better yards per game averages (2016 – 455.2, 2008 – 417.5, 1995 – 449.1). Additionally, the team unit finished the season with 23 touchdowns (3.83 TDs per game), which has only been bested by one previous EMU team (1995 – 4.36 TDs per game). EMU averaged 22.33 first downs per game (134 total), which is the sixth-best of any team in program history.
The offense, helped by Sewell, improved over 2019 in points per game (33.17/29.15), rushing yards per game (129.3/122.3), total offense (406.3/405.5), time of possession (29:12/28:33), third down conversions (43.21% 35-for-81 /39.88% 67-of-168 ), fourth down conversions (78.57% 11-for-14/48.0% - 12-for-25), and red zone scoring (100% - 28-of-28/ 77.5% - 38-of-49).
EMU was incredibly effective in the red zone on both sides of the ball this season. Offensively, EMU ranked No. 1 in the nation with a 100 percent red zone scoring clip (tied with Washington State). The Eagles produced points in 28-of-28 trips inside the opponent’s 20-yard line this season, a 22.5 percent improvement over last season’s efficiency. In total, 21 of EMU’s red zone trips resulted in touchdowns. Additionally, the team averaged 4.66 trips to the red zone per game in 2020, a considerable improvement from EMU’s 2019 numbers (3.8 trips per game).
EMU’s offense tallied two games with more than 210 yards on the ground in 2020.
Eastern’s offense was electric in 2019 en route to an appearance in the Quick Lane Bowl, amassing 5,271 total yards, 49 touchdowns, and 379 total points. Overall, the EMU offense set the program record for touchdowns in a season (49), touchdown passes in a season (27), and passes completed in a season (313). Additionally, EMU’s 285 first downs, 379 points, and 5,271 total yards of offense ranked second all-time in program history.
Senior tailback Shaq Vann finished his career ranked sixth in the EMU record books with 24 career touchdowns and seventh all-time with career 2,577 rushing yards. He led the team in 2019 with 715 rushing yards and a team-best eight touchdowns.
Sewell has mentored running backs at three previous stops, including most recently at Indiana State. After an 0-11 season in 2017, the Sycamores completed the biggest turnaround in college football, leading the Sycamores to a 7-4 finish, a third-place finish in the Missouri Valley Football Conference and a No. 22 national ranking. Coming into 2018, Indiana State was picked to finish last in the MVFC. The Sycamores closed out the season winning five-straight games, the first time that ISU had won five-straight in league play since 2012.
Running back Ja’Quan Keys collected 2018 First Team All-MVFC honors after leading the Sycamores with a league-best 13 rushing touchdowns and 135.4 yards per game. He scored multiple touchdowns in five games, including four against Eastern Illinois, and ran for over 100-yards in five games with a season-high 234 rush yards. Keys ranked second nationally in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns and third in rushing yards per game and scoring per game before missing the final four games due to injury.
Sewell helped LeMonte Booker earn Honorable Mention All-MVFC in 2017 after the senior racked up 1,086 all-purpose yards. He led the team and was second in the MVFC during the regular season with 941 yards on the ground and accounted for a team-best five rushing touchdowns. He averaged 85.5 rushing yards per game and finished with 4.7 yards per carry, which was seventh-best in the MVFC among ball carriers with 100-or-more attempts. Booker put together three games with 100-plus yards rushing, including 167 yards against Youngstown State and 104 yards against the top rush defense in the country in North Dakota State.
Prior to coming to Terre Haute, Sewell spent seven seasons at the NCAA Division II level with stops at Colorado State University-Pueblo (2010-12, 2015-16) and McKendree University (2013-14).
CSU-Pueblo had the sixth-best rushing attack nationally in 2015 with 291 yards per game. The tandem of brothers Cameron and Bernard McDondle combined for 3,674 yards to establish the NCAA record for rushing yards by two backs on the same team. Cameron finished third in Harlon Hill Trophy voting after he ranked second nationally in rushing yards, rushing yards per game and rushing touchdowns, while brother Bernard was first in NCAA Division II in rushing yards per carry. The two helped the Pack become just the fourth team in NCAA Division II history to produce both a 2,000-yard rusher and a 1,000 yard-rusher in the same season.
While at McKendree, Sewell coached two all-conference selections one of which led the Great Lakes Valley Conference in yards per carry. Sewell helped improve the special teams unit in nearly every statistical category, which included the Bearcats finishing second in the nation in the regular season in punt return average. He served as the recruiting coordinator for the 2013 class and assisted in the signing of 50 incoming freshmen in back-to-back years under a restricted budget and staff.
Before his time at McKendree, Sewell served as tight ends coach and special teams assistant while at CSU-Pueblo (2010-12). He helped lead the ThunderWolves to back-to-back Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championships in 2011 and 2012 and a combined record of 23-2. He coached All-American tight end Koby Wittek and all-region tight end Roger Pfannenschmid.
Sewell coordinated the kickoff return unit and also oversaw the high school, individual and youth camps. Sewell played tight end at University of Northern Colorado (2006-10) where he was a two-year starter.
Sewell earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in recreation tourism & hospitality in 2010.
Sewell and his wife, Ruth, have two children: Abbi (17) and JuJu (6).
| The Sam Sewell File | ||
| Name: | Sam Sewell | |
| High School: | Grandview H.S. - Aurora, Colo. | |
| College: | University of Northern Colorado - Bachelor’s degree in recreation tourism & hospitality - 2010 | |
| Family: | Wife - Ruth; Children - Abbi (17) and JuJu (6) | |
| Coaching Experience | ||
| Year | School | Position |
| 2022-Pres. | Eastern Michigan University | Assistant Coach/Running Backs/Special Teams Coordinator |
| 2021 | Eastern Michigan University | Assistant Coach/Running Backs/ Offensive Recruiting Coord. |
| 2018-20 | Eastern Michigan University | Assistant Coach/Running Backs |
| 2017-18 | Indiana State University | Assistant Coach/Running Backs |
| 2015-16 | Colorado State University-Pueblo | Assistant Coach/Running Backs/co-Special Teams Coordinator |
| 2013-14 | McKendree University | Assistant Coach/Running Back/Special Teams Coordinator |
| 2010-12 | Colorado State University-Pueblo | Assistant Coach/Tight Ends/Special Teams |
| 2006-10 | University of Northern Colorado | Student-athlete |
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