Lincoln announces coaching hires for baseball, men’s and women’s soccer

Lincoln University announced three new head coaches Thursday.

Grant Reynolds was named the baseball coach, Oniqueky “Sammy” Samuels as men’s soccer coach and Leah Stringer officially became the first-ever women’s soccer coach in school history.

The three coaches will have all of the 2023-24 school year to recruit and fill out rosters before the three sports take their respective fields in the 2024-25 season -- coinciding with the school’s move to the Great Lakes Valley Conference. Lincoln’s men’s and women’s soccer programs will begin play in the fall of 2024 while the baseball program will make its return in the spring of 2025.

“I am excited to welcome Grant, his wife Erin, and their daughters Hannah, Eleanor, Madelyn, and Claire; Sammy, his wife Theresa, and their son, Mali; and Leah all to the Ambush!” Lincoln athletic director Kevin Wilson said in a press release. “They all bring different experiences to the table, but share one thing in common: a deep desire to promote student success on the field, in the community and in life. I look forward to seeing them lead our respective programs against our GLVC and HBCU peers as well as the rest of the country!”

Reynolds, a native of Sydney, Australia, will be making the move to Jefferson City after serving as the pitching coach at Albany State since the start of the 2019 season.

He previously had stints as a head coach at Ohio Christian University before stepping down in 2015 after the birth of his twin daughters and as an assistant at Wheaton College (Ill.) and Davenport College (Mich.). Reynolds also served as a high school baseball coach at Lemon Bay High School (Fla.), The Seven Hills High School (Fla.) and Caledonia High School (Mich.).

Reynolds made the move to the United States in 2000 to play baseball at Wallace State Community College in Hanceville, Ala. before finishing his collegiate career at Kennesaw State. He was drafted by the Oakland A’s in 2003 draft before spending three years in the A’s minor-league system.

“I am incredibly thankful that President Moseley, Dr. Wilson and the search committee have entrusted me with the future of the Blue Tigers Baseball program,” Reynolds said in Thursday’s press release. “I know there is much excitement around Jefferson City and with the alumni about the return of baseball to Lincoln University, and I look forward to finding athletes that will fit the school’s core values and our baseball program.

“I am forever grateful to Coach Hemmings and Albany State University for allowing me to get back into college coaching. I am looking to build a program that will hopefully mirror some of our success at ASU. My family and I look forward to moving to Jefferson City and starting this new chapter of Blue Tiger Baseball.”

III

Samuels will take over the return of the Blue Tiger men’s soccer program after spending the last six seasons as the head coach at the University of Maine at Fort Kent.

He was successful in his time with the Bengals, leading them to a United States Collegiate Athletic Association national title in 2022, runner-up finishes in 2019 and 2021 and the Final Four in 2018. He finished with a 53-12-8 record in his time at UMFK.

Samuels played collegiately at Maine-Fort Kent and was a four-time All-American selection. He helped lead the Bengals to the 2010 national championship and was enshrined in the school’s Hall of Fame in 2016.

He was hired on as an assistant coach at UMFK in 2014 before taking over the program in 2018.

“I want to thank athletic director Dr. Kevin Wilson and president Dr. John Moseley for trusting me to lead the Lincoln University men’s soccer program,” Samuels said in the press release. “This is an exciting new chapter as we pioneer the program through academics, athletics and community initiatives. With hard work, confidence and consistency, I believe the soccer program will prepare our student-athletes for life long after they’ve graduated from Lincoln.”

III

Stringer will be tasked with leading the debut of the Lincoln women’s soccer program and will make the move to the Capital City after serving as Missouri Western’s interim head coach last season.

She was initially hired to join the Griffons’ staff in 2020 and served as an assistant until stepping in as interim. She got her start coaching in 2011 as the goalkeeper coach of the Manchester Soccer Club United ‘96 Boys team and stayed with the program through 2014. She made her way into the collegiate coaching ranks in 2016 as the goalkeeper coach for the men’s and women’s soccer programs at Northeast Texas Community College, where she spent four years before joining Missouri Western’s staff.

Stringer was a goalkeeper at Central Christian College of Kansas before graduating in 2011.

“I want to thank president Dr. John Moseley, vice president Dr. Kevin Wilson, the search committee and all the wonderful people I met on my visit to Jefferson City,” Stringer said. “It’s exciting and humbling for me to be the first Head Women’s Soccer Coach at Lincoln University of Missouri. When I arrived on campus and met the administration, as well as the members of the Blue Tiger Athletics Club, I knew this was where I wanted to be.”