Lincoln College congratulates Administrator for Hall of Fame honor
Rick Samuels Honored at EIU for standout basketball coaching career

[September 12, 2014]  LINCOLN - Lincoln College is offering its hearty congratulations this week to administrator Rick Samuels, after he was named to the Eastern Illinois University Athletic Hall of Fame.

Samuels joined four others in the Class of 2014 receiving the Hall of Fame honor last weekend in Charleston at an EIU football game. Samuels has been at Lincoln College since 2006 and has served as Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Services on the Lincoln campus since 2012.

At Eastern, Samuels was one of the most successful basketball coaches in the school’s history. He led the school from 1981 to 2005, the second-longest active tenure at the Division I level at the end of his career. His teams won 360 games, the most all-time at EIU, and twice went to the NCAA Tournament, in 1992 and 2001.

Samuels also helped develop three players who became NBA draft picks, a fourth who played as an NBA free agent and the school’s all-time leading scorer, who now plays professionally in Europe.

“I am humbled and honored to have received this tremendous honor from Eastern Illinois University,” Samuels said. “I was fortunate to have so many exceptional young men to work with in my 25 years there and will always remember my time at EIU fondly. Being part of the Hall of Fame is not something I ever thought would happen, but I am grateful for the recognition.”

Lincoln College President John Blackburn said LC students, faculty, staff and parents should be the ones thankful to work with a top-notch educator in Samuels.

“We are so excited for Rick to receive this honor that he deserved for such a special coaching career,” Blackburn said. “Even though he has stepped away from the court at Lincoln College, he brings to the office every day the poise, determination and commitment to success that marked his coaching. He helps make Lincoln College’s experience an outstanding one, and we are proud to see him honored this way.”

[Text received; TRACY BERGIN, LINCOLN COLLEGE]