LA GRANDE, Ore. – Eastern Oregon University Athletic Director Anji Weissenfluh announced today that Samuel Thomas has been named the Interim Soccer Coach for EOU for the upcoming 2014 season. Thomas replaces Jennifer Simonetti, who stepped down last week to accept an assistant coaching position at UMass-Lowell.
“I am really excited to welcome Samuel to the Mountaineer Athletic Department,” remarked Weissenfluh. “We are very fortunate to find a quality coach on such short notice. He comes highly recommended, is energetic, motivated, and driven to be a successful coach. It will be fun to watch him lead our soccer team this season.”
Thomas brings a varied background of coaching experience with him to the position.
“I would like to thank Anji Weissenfluh and the Eastern Oregon University family for this exciting opportunity to be a part of the women’s soccer program,” Thomas said. “I am honored to be able to embrace a role with a team that has already laid the building blocks for success. The dedicated efforts of the administration, previous coaching staff, and former and current players have our team ready to hit the ground running. I am eager for the women to arrive so that we can begin developing our family and prepare for another season of progress.”
Prior to his coaching days, Thomas was a Goalkeeper at Principia College. He was a four year starter for the soccer program and Thomas helped the team to the highest-ever national ranking when the Panthers were ranked eighth in 2009.
Thomas was named All-Conference all four years earning First Team honors his sophomore, junior and senior seasons. During his junior year, Thomas was voted Conference Player of the Year. He holds the school record for most career wins, most career ties, and most saves in one game. Thomas is third on the school’s record list for most shutouts with 19, third in career saves (337), and fourth in goals against average (1.20)
After graduating college, Thomas accepted an assistant coaching position at Oregon Tech for the Fall of 2012. Thomas coached both men’s and women’s programs goalkeeper. Oregon Tech’s women’s goalkeeper earned First Team All-CCC honors.
After spending the Fall of 2012 at Oregon Tech, Thomas has earned five coaching licenses from NSCAA. He also holds an advanced National License for Goalkeeping Level 3. He has also worked top camps around the country; including Hope Solo’s Goalkeeper Camp, the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill Soccer Camp and assisted with the development of goalkeepers at the St. Louis Goalkeeper Academy.
The past two summers, Thomas has coached goalkeepers in the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL), which is the largest women’s soccer league in the world with 65 teams. He helped the team win the Midwest Region and three players, including the goalkeeper, were named to the All-Region Team. One player earned All-WPSL Team honors.
In 2013, he was the Boys Varsity assistant coach for Principia High School. He helped coach the team to a 13-2-1 record and five players off the team were named to the Missouri All-State Team, including the goalkeeper who held a 0.75 goals against average.
During the fall of 2013, Thomas trained both the men’s and women’s goalkeepers at McKendree University, Harris-Stowe State University and KIXX Soccer Club.
Most recently, Thomas was the Girls Varsity Assistant Coach at Principia High School.
“As the interim coach, my goal for the program is to continue the improvement of both individual and team play in the pursuit of long-term excellence,” Thomas stated. “The established culture founded on hard work, teamwork, and success in all areas (academic, athletic, and extracurricular) will be our pillars for achievement this season. Having previously coached in the Cascade Collegiate Conference, I understand what it will take for the program to earn its position as a postseason tournament regular. The devotion from the players required to achieve this goal will not only result in tactical, technical, physical and mental growth on the pitch, but also invariably lead to maturation off the field. I believe that soccer is a perfect tool for character education – a window of opportunity for college athletes to learn how to apply on-field lessons to challenges off the field. My commitment to EOU and the athletic department is to give this team the tools it needs to succeed this season as well as in future seasons.”
Thomas, a native of Chesterfield, Mo. graduated with a Bachelor of Art from Principia College in 2012 in Graphic Design.