Lincoln University Men's Soccer

Leah Stringer was named the first-ever head coach of the Lincoln women's soccer team on June 1, 2023. Stringer immediately began building the program, with the team playing its first games in the fall of 2024. She is in her third year at Lincoln. It did not take Lincoln long to enjoy success, as Stringer guided the Blue Tigers to a 1-0 win over Minnesota-Crookston in the program's first-ever match. In 2024, Stringer led LU to a 4-0 start and, in 2025, coached Ivanna Faria to a spot on the All-GLVC third team. Stringer is no stranger to Missouri or NCAA Division II, as she has been on the coaching staff at Missouri Western since joining the program as an assistant coach in 2020. Stringer helped lead the Griffons to their highest national ranking in program history, as they peaked at No. 13 in the nation in 2021. She also helped MWSU improve its winning percentage from .306 in the fall of 2019 to .708 in the spring of 2021. Stringer, who served as the interim head coach of MWSU in 2022, has developed six All-MIAA players, coached three MIAA All-Tournament selections, and mentored 47 athletes who have been named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll or who have earned one of the league's Academic Excellence or Scholar Athlete awards.   Before coming to Missouri, Stringer spent three seasons as the assistant men's and women's soccer coach at Northeast Texas Community College, helping both teams achieve their highest-ever national rankings. Stringer coached the only two goalkeepers in school history ever to earn all-region accolades, and she developed 19 total all-region performers. Stringer was a member of the 2018 National Junior College Athletics Association's South Regional Division I Staff of the Year.   Stringer broke into the coaching ranks as the goalkeeper coach for the Manchester Soccer Club United '96 Boys team from 2011-14, and she also interned with the McPherson Strikers in 2011. Stringer was a goalkeeper at Central Christian College of Kansas, graduating in 2011 with a degree in sports management. She later earned a master's degree from Texas Woman's University in 2018. What People Nationally Are Saying About Leah Stringer "Leah is a passionate, detail-oriented leader. She is positive, supportive, respectful, genuine, and sincerely caring about the lives of her players. I cannot think of a better person to lay the foundation for the Lincoln University of Missouri's women's soccer program."  - Damian Macias, Associate Head Women's Soccer Coach at the University of North Dakota   "Leah is a bright young and up-and-coming coach. She is an ambitious and caring leader who has the heart and determination to help lead Lincoln University of Missouri as a new program. There is no question that she will be a great ambassador for both the institution and her student-athletes."  - Cole Ouren, Assistant Women's Soccer Coach at Baylor University   "Leah is a fantastic coach with a tremendous passion for the game. She works tirelessly on and off the field to help her student-athletes be better players and better people. She is also a fantastic recruiter that will grow the game at Lincoln. She will build a culture and foundation for the program to achieve long-lasting, sustainable success."  - Daniel Hill, Head Women's Soccer Coach at Seminole State College  

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 third year leading the program. Under his leadership in 2025, the Blue Tigers enjoyed an outstanding season that ended in the NCAA Sweet 16. Samuels led Lincoln to an undefeated regular season and the semifinals of the GLVC championship. The Blue Tigers hosted a GLVC tournament game against Missouri S&T and an NCAA tourney contest against Tiffin, winning both contests. Kevon Maitland was named the GLVC Offensive Player of the Year in 2025, and he and Adam Griffiths were both named all-region. Samuels coached both of those players, as well as Christopher Hull, Vincent Osei and Rajae Lawrence, to spots on the All-GLVC team. Samuels also coached Joseph Lozano to a D2CIDA National Player of the Week award. In 2024, the first year that Lincoln soccer resumed play, Samuels led the Blue Tigers to a 5-6-5 record and LU in contention for a playoff spot entering the final week of the season. Samuels coached Shandee Brooks to a spot on the All-GLVC second team and Maitland to a slot on the All-GLVC third team. 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  

Jon DeSha begins his second season as assistant women's soccer coach in 2026. DeSha joined Lincoln after serving as the head coach of both the boys' (2022-23) and girls' (2022-25) soccer teams at Helias High School in Jefferson City. DeSha led the girls' team to its first-ever conference championship in 2025, a season that was capped off by an appearance in the final four of the Class 3 state championship tournament. DeSha guided the Helias girls to three-straight district titles from 2023-25 and directed the Crusaders to the semi-finals of the Class 2 state championship tournament in 2024. As the coach of the boys' team in 2022, DeSha led the program to a district championship. He was named the MSHSAA Regional Coach of the Year in 2024 and 2025. Prior to becoming a high school head coach, DeSha broke into the coaching ranks at Columbia College, where, as the assistant head coach, he helped launch the women's soccer program in 2008. Between 2008-12, DeSha coached 14 all-conference selections and 18 academic all-conference honorees. From 2013-15, DeSha was the head coach of the men's soccer team at Ottawa University in Kansas, guiding the program to back-to-back appearances in the KCAC tournament. DeSha coached eight all-conference players, including two first team honorees.  

Andre Ireland is in his third season as an assistant coach with the Lincoln men's soccer team and led the Blue Tigers in their first season in over 20 years in 2024. In 2025, Ireland helped Lincoln achieve tremendous success, as the Blue Tigers went undefeated in the regular season and advanced as far as the NCAA Sweet 16. Ireland helped coach five All-GLVC honorees that season, including Kevon Maitland, the GLVC Offensive Player of the Year. As a player, Ireland helped Allen Community College win its first-ever conference and regional championships in 2021. Ireland later helped Missouri Valley College win back-to-back conference championships in 2022 and 2023 as well as a Heart of America Conference tournament championship in 2023. Ireland earned an associates degree from Allen Community College in 2021 and a bachelor's degree from Missouri Valley College in 2024.  

Aaron Amoako-Baah was named the assistant coach of the Lincoln men's soccer team in 2023 and is in his third year with the program. During the 2025 season, just the second year that Lincoln had begun sponsoring soccer again, Amoako-Baah helped lead the Blue Tigers to an undefeated regular season. LU hosted and won both GLVC and NCAA tournament games before ending its season in the Sweet 16. Amoako-Baah, a 2022 graduate of the University of Maine at Fort Kent, came to Lincoln with Sammy Samuels when the latter was named the first head coach of the returning men's soccer program. Amoako-Baah was an player/assistant coach for Samuels from 2020-22, helping UMFK win the 2022 United State Collegiate Athletics Association national championship. Amoako-Baah also helped the Bengals finish as the USCAA national runner-up in 2021. As an assistant at Maine at Fort Kent, Amoako-Baah helped plan, organize and lead practice sessions and also helped with recruiting for the nationally-competitive program. In the fall of 2022, Amoako-Baah was given the additional title of administrative aide, and assisted in UMFK's records-keeping and calendar planning. Amoako-Baah played on UMFK teams in 2018 and 2019 went deep in the national tournament, with the latter team finishing as the national runner-up. He also has played in the Champions FC-Ghana Division 2 League, the Seas Jamaica FC-UPSL and on the Pensacola Football Club, helping the latter program finish as the NPSL Gulf Coast Conference Champion Runner-Up. As a player at UMFK, Amoako-Baah started 73 of the 76 matches in which he played and scored seven goals while providing five assists. During his playing career, Amoako-Baah, who maintained an impressive 45 clean sheets, led the Bengals to a national runner-up finish in 2019 and was the team's 2018 rookie of the year. Amoako-Baah made two USCAA All-Tournament teams, was a three-time USCAA All-American and was also a three-time USCAA All-Academic Team honoree.