Sammy Samuels, who won multiple national championships as a player and coach at the University of Maine at Fort Kent, was named the head coach of the Lincoln men's soccer team on June 1, 2023. He is in his second year leading the program.
Samuels served as the head coach at the University of Maine at Fort Kent from 2018-23, and led the Bengals to the 2022 United State Collegiate Athletics Association national championship. Samuels also directed UMFK to national runner-up performances in 2019 and 2021 as well as the national semifinals in 2018. Samuels directed the Bengals to a 53-12-8 record and coached 13 All-American first team selections, 28 All-Academic honorees and 14 players chosen for the national all-tournament team.
Before being elevated to the position of head coach, Samuels joined UMFK as an assistant coach in 2014 and helped the program win USCAA national championships in both 2015 and 2016. During his other two seasons on the coaching staff in 2014 and 2017, the Bengals finished as the national runners-up. As an assistant coach, Samuels helped lead the Bengals to a pair of undefeated seasons and 85 total victories.
Samuels played collegiately at the University of Maine at Fort Kent and was enshrined in the school's hall of fame in 2016. Samuels was a four-time All-Academic performer for the Bengals and led UMFK to a national championship in 2010.
In 2011, Samuels earned a bachelor's degree in business management with a minor in coaching, and he later earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from UMFK in 2012. Samuels then served as a graduate assistant at Union (Ky.), where he earned a master's degree in education leadership in 2014. In 2022, Samuels earned an MBA from the University of Maine.
Samuels and his wife Theresa, have one son, Mali.
What People Nationally Are Saying About Sammy Samuels
"Coach Samuels has proven himself as one of the top up-and-coming soccer coaches in U.S. college soccer. Samuels's on-field success as a head coach is unquestionable, and he has demonstrated himself as a masterful recruiter of talent both domestically and internationally. Lincoln University is fortunate to have a coach of Samuels' caliber who will be devoted and invest significantly in its student-athletes, support Lincoln University's overall mission, and be an active member of the community of Jefferson City." - Bill Ashby, Former Athletic Director at the University of Maine at Fort Kent
"There are not enough words to wholeheartedly describe Coach Samuels. His unique talent for motivating individuals has profoundly impacted my personal and professional life, as well as many others. He is an exceptional leader who embodies the qualities of resilience, compassion, and unwavering determination, leaving a lasting impression. Sammy's ability to overcome challenges in pursuit of excellence makes him an invaluable asset to any institution. He has achieved remarkable results that many deem impossible, and I am certain there are more remarkable results to come. He is truly a role model, not just to his student-athletes but to anyone he encounters. I am immensely grateful to have met Sammy, and I look forward to seeing the amazing things he will achieve in this new chapter." - Alex Smith, Head Men's Soccer Coach at Concord University
"Coach Sammy is a great hire. His ability to recruit, coach, and mentor student-athletes is of the highest quality, and he has the winning mentality that every program desires. Bringing Coach Samuels to Lincoln undoubtedly sets up the men's soccer program to succeed nationally." - Jonathan Shaw, Head Men's Soccer Coach at Union College
