Lincoln Memorial University Men's Basketball

Samarrippas is entering his second season as the Railsplitters' graduate assistant coach.   In his first season with the Lincoln Memorial men's basketball program (2014-15), Samarrippas helped the Railsplitters compile a 30-3 overall record, win their third straight South Atlantic Conference regular season title and break the league's single-season records for wins and winning percentage.   Before his arrival at Lincoln Memorial, Samarrippas posted 10.4 points, 4.8 assists, 2.5 boards and 1.3 steals per game while serving as a team captain during his senior campaign with the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles. Samarrippas notched comparable numbers in his first season in the Purple and Gold after transferring from Southern Methodist, where he was featured as the starting point guard during both his freshman and sophomore seasons. Samarrippas was named to the OVC All-Newcomer Team following his junior season in Cookeville, Tenn.   A native of Bartow, Fla., Samarrippas was the 5A Florida High School Athletic Association Player of the Year while finishing third in Florida's Mr. Basketball voting. In his final season at Bartow Senior High School, he led his team to a 25-5 record and the 5A State Championship. Samarrippas was a two-time All-State first team selection during his prep career.   At the completion of his collegiate career, one in which he racked up better than 1,000 points, Samarrippas received numerous professional contract offers, but he ultimately decided to pursue a career in the coaching industry.   "I knew I wanted to become a college basketball coach around my freshmen year of high school," Samarrippas said. "I live for the game and it has opened up so many doors in my life. I'm lucky enough that Coach Schertz gave me the opportunity to join the staff here at LMU and I'm excited to learn from him and the rest of the staff."   Samarrippas is the son of Anita and John Kilpatrick. He has four younger siblings: John, Ja'ron, Jaylen and Justin Kilpatrick.  

A legacy comes full circle as Tony Jasick, one of the most accomplished coaches in NCAA mid-major basketball, returns to Lincoln Memorial University as the new head coach of the Railsplitters men's basketball program for the 2025-2026 season. With over 25 years of collegiate coaching experience, including 10 seasons as a Division I head coach and 153 NCAA Division I career wins, Jasick brings championship-level leadership and a bold vision for the next chapter of LMU basketball. "LMU is where I got my start. It's where I learned what it means to build something special," said Jasick. "This program helped shape me into the coach and person I am today. To come back and lead a team that represents everything LMU stands for—resilience, integrity, and community—is an honor beyond words. We're going to build a team that plays with pride, passion, and purpose, and brings energy back to Tex Turner Arena." Jasick began his coaching career at LMU as an assistant in 2001, earning his Master of Education from the university in 2002. He now returns with a résumé packed with historic program turnarounds and accolades at the highest levels of college basketball. Most recently, Jasick served as Interim Head Coach at Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU) in 2025, after four seasons as Associate Head Coach. During his tenure, the Lumberjacks captured the 2022 WAC regular season title and earned a postseason berth in the College Basketball Invitational, continuing the program's winning tradition under his strategic guidance. Jasick previously spent seven seasons as Head Coach at Jacksonville University, where he led the Dolphins to their best non-conference record in 24 years, the program's first winning season in five years, and a 13-game home win streak—the longest in 42 years. His efforts earned him NABC District 3 Coach of the Year and ASUN Coach of the Year honors in 2016. Before Jacksonville, Jasick made national headlines at IPFW (Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne), where he engineered one of the most remarkable turnarounds in the country. In 2014, he guided the Mastodons to a school-record 25 wins and their first-ever postseason victory, earning the Hugh Durham National Coach of the Year and Summit League Coach of the Year honors. Jasick's career has also included impactful stops at Middle Tennessee State, Newberry College, UNC Pembroke, and North Alabama—a testament to his adaptability and proven leadership at every level of the game. "Tony Jasick is more than a coach—he's a transformational leader," said LMU Athletics Director Travis Muncy. "He builds programs the right way, from the ground up, with a focus on relationships, accountability, and excellence. He's a proven winner with a deep connection to LMU, and we could not be more excited for what's ahead." LMU President Dr. Jason McConnell echoed that excitement. "Coach Jasick brings a level of experience, character, and vision that perfectly aligns with our university's mission. He's committed to developing student-athletes who are not only successful on the court but prepared for success in life. We are proud to welcome him—and his family—back home to Harrogate." Jasick returns to LMU with his wife, Melissa, who also earned her master's at LMU in 2002, and their daughters, Rohen and Reece, rejoining a community that has remained close to his heart. With a legacy of excellence behind him and a fire for the future, Coach Jasick is poised to elevate Railsplitter basketball to even greater heights.

Patrick Althoff joins the Lincoln Memorial men’s basketball program as an assistant coach after spending the past three seasons at Bradley University. In his first season, he served as Video Coordinator of Player Development and was promoted to Special Assistant to the Head Coach for the next two seasons.  In his first year with the Braves, the team captured the Missouri Valley Conference Regular Season Championship, the program’s first in 27 years. In his three seasons at Bradley, the Braves finished top 3 in the Missouri Valley Conference, along with 3 postseason appearances in the NIT.  Before joining Bradley, Althoff was an Assistant Coach with the Howard College Hawk’s men’s basketball staff during the 2021–22 season. He helped guide the Hawks to a top 5 NJCAA defense. From 2019 to 2021, Althoff served as a Graduate Assistant at Jacksonville University under Coach Tony Jasick where he was responsible for all video and film.  A native of Bloomington, Illinois, he began his basketball journey as an Undergraduate Student Manager for the University of Illinois men’s basketball program, serving as Head Manager during the 2018–19 season. Althoff helped develop, Ayo Dosunmu, current member of the Chicago Bulls during his time as Head Manager in the 2018-19 season.  Althoff earned his bachelor’s degree in recreation, sport, and tourism with a concentration in sport management from the University of Illinois in 2019, and his master’s degree in sport management from Jacksonville University in 2021.

Joined Ole Miss Staff 2024 as player development. He worked with Malik Dia, Jaemyn Brakefield , Javon Benson and Juju Murray. He was also a part of an SEC that had one of its best years ever, with 14 teams making the NCAA Tournament; made a run to the Sweet 16 ultimately losing to Michigan State. Yarbrough joined the FMU family as associate head men's basketball coach in summer of 2023. During his time at FMU he recruited numerous All Americans and All Sun Conference student athletes. All Americans: Latavious Mitchell (Conference MVP) All-Sun Conference: Latavious Mitchell, Calvin Payton, Darius Ward, Felix Uadiale, Mohamed Diallo, Teton Hamilton, Evan Busby. In his only year at FMU they were 23-8, Sun Conference Champs, and a #2 seed in the National Tournament. Yarbrough served as an assistant coach for the men's basketball program at Cumberland (Tenn.) for five seasons upon his graduation from the institution in 2012, while also serving as the program's interim head coach with the Phoenix during the second half of 2017-18 season graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration at Cumberland. Prior to his time at CU, Yarbrough attended College Heights Christian Academy in Gallatin, Tenn. before transferring to Hunters Lane High School in the northern part of Nashville. From the start, Yarbrough made his presence felt on the hardwood. At College Heights, Yarbrough obtained back-to-back state championships as a freshman and sophomore in high school before transferring to Hunters Lane for his final two seasons of varsity competition. While there, Yarbrough helped lead the Warriors to a 27-6 overall record and a Tennessee High School Athletic Association (THSAA) Class AAA State Tournament appearance as a senior in 2005-06 thanks to the help of Billy Stone and Yarbrough's siblings. After playing for former Middle Tennessee State and current Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis at Middle Tennessee State, Yarbrough transferred to Cumberland in January 2010, where the 6'1 guard became an integral part of the starting lineup at CU. He averaged 8.2 points, 4.3 assists, and 1.6 steals per bout in the 16 games that he participated in during the 2009-10 season, then came back and averaged seven points and 2. 9 assists per contest in the 2010-11 campaign as a senior. Since finishing his playing days at Cumberland, Yarbrough has successfully pursued a career in coaching. At CU, Yarbrough landed players such as Cameron Johnson, Telvin Wilkerson, and Trenton Perry during his time at Cumberland while coaching Ty'Sean Powell a two-time Second-Team All-Mid South Conference honoree. Yarbrough also coached up Diondrey Holt, Jr., who developed into a two-time First-Team A~I-Mi~ South Conference and two-time NAIA Honorable Mention All-American player while with the Phoenix. Yarbrough finished up his five-year stint at Cumberland as the program's interim head coach when the institution's head coach, Lonnie Thompson, stepped away after 16 seasons with the Phoenix. At Shawnee State, Yarbrough was the point man on several key recruitments that ultimately helped SSU notch an 87-40 overall record during his four seasons as the top assistant to then SSU head coach Delano Thomas. The pair ultimately led the Bears to the program's first-ever regular season and conference tournament titles while also guiding the program to its first five victories in the national tournament en route to the program's first-ever National Championship in 2021 -- a 7 4-68 victory over Lewis-Clark State.