William Woods University football has elevated Sam Camp, the offensive coordinator for the Owls' inaugural season, to head coach, WWU Vice President and Director of Athletics Steve Wilson announced today. Julian Mendez has stepped down from his position as head football coach to take a position on the staff at NCAA Division II Washburn University in Topeka, KS. We wish Coach Mendez the best of luck.
"My wife Grace and I are very excited and honored by this opportunity to serve the football program and William Woods University," Camp stated. "Growing up watching my grandpa Phil Hower coach and serve has always motivated me to pursue becoming a head coach. The opportunity to build the history and legacy of a college football program is special to me. I'm humbled to be a part of doing that at a place with storied success in so many other programs on campus. Thank you to our Athletic Director, Steve Wilson, and the other key members of our administrative staff that have supported us throughout this process so far. I'm excited to continue working this spring to develop the young men in our program with the rest of the coaching staff. Go Owls!"
Camp, who was in charge of The Woods' offense for Year 1, coached the Owls' top All-Heart of America Athletic Conference South Division honoree, second-team wide receiver Troy Oliver. In 2024, Oliver was second in the Heart South in receiving yards per game (82) and third in touchdown receptions (nine); the players ahead of Oliver in those stats were on teams that qualified for the 20-team NAIA Football National Championship.
Under Camp's guidance, William Woods' offense totaled 2,360 yards, including 2,143 passing. Owls quarterback Gabe Serri and wide receivers Oliver and Jalen Becerra proved immense pieces to WWU's offense in 2024. In 10 games, Serri completed 155-of-335 passes for 1,812 yards, 16 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, good enough for a 99.7 pass efficiency. Serri's top targets, Oliver, recorded 72 receptions for 902 yards (82 receiving yards per game) and nine touchdowns, and Becerra caught 37 passes for 691 yards (18.7 receiving yards per catch) and four touchdowns.
"I am thrilled for Sam, knowing the coaching lineage he comes from and the way he approaches every day," Wilson said. "Sam's coaching style and demeanor give us a high level of continuity, and we will be an organized, disciplined and detail-oriented football program under his leadership."
Before joining Wiliam Woods as an offensive coordinator last spring, Camp had two stints with NCAA Division II Western New Mexico University in Silver City, New Mexico, where he was offensive coordinator under head coach Billy Hickman. Under his direction, the Mustangs averaged 258.4 yards of passing per game, leading the Lone Star Conference. He also served under previous head coach Philip Vigil as the wide receivers and tight ends coach, pass game coordinator, recruiting coordinator and video coordinator, helping in the development of 2021 Lone Star Conference leaders Josh Powell (61 receptions) and Devin Larsen (266.1 passing yards per game and 244 completions).
Between his tenures with Western New Mexico, Camp served as a defensive quality control coach for NCAA Division I FBS Army football in West Point, New York. Working alongside defensive coordinator Nate Woody, Camp developed defensive game plans based on opponents' projected offensive schemes. The Black Knights finished the 2022 season ranked 44th in total defense among 130 FBS teams and 33rd in scoring defense, allowing just 22.5 points per game.
During the 2018 and '19 seasons, Camp was the wide receivers and tight ends coach at NAIA Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina, Kansas, and the video coordinator for the program. Kansas Wesleyan ranked third in total offense in the NAIA in 2018 and improved to second overall in '19. The Coyotes qualified for the NAIA Football Championship Series in both seasons of Camp's tenure.
The Winfield, Kansas, native earned a bachelor's degree in health management from Friends University in Wichita, Kan., in 2018, where he was a four-year letter-winner for the NAIA Falcons, twice earning All-Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference accolades as a wide receiver. He finished his career with 1,242 receiving yards and 100 career receptions for Friends, recording six touchdowns.
