Lincoln University’s esteemed track and field head coach, Victor Thomas, has been added to the 2023 USTFCCCA Coaches Hall of Fame in a career marked by unparalleled achievement. This accolade, presented on Tuesday, Dec. 12 in Denver, Colorado, by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, recognized Thomas’s extraordinary contributions over his 22 years at the helm.
Victor Thomas’s tenure at Lincoln has been nothing short of historic. He has propelled the university’s women’s track and field team to an impressive nine NCAA Division II Outdoor and five Indoor titles. His guidance has led to nearly 1,000 All-American performances, and he’s been honored as the National Coach of the Year five times. ALSO READ: Noah Lyles: ‘Very Shocking’ Response to World Athletics’ Award Overhaul
Asked about his first thoughts when he heard he was selected, Thomas said it was, “Wow, it’s about time.”
He continued, “but I felt good knowing that the hard work paid off…” Watch The Full Interview here
A dominant force in collegiate track and field, Thomas’s coaching prowess has not gone unnoticed by the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, which has bestowed upon him the Coach of the Year title ten times. His journey of excellence started earlier, earning him the 2004 Heartland Conference Coach of the Year accolade.
Under Victor Thomas’s guidance, the Blue Tigers have secured a staggering 95 individual and 41 relay national titles, along with 671 USTFCCCA All-Region awards. His leadership has seen the men’s and women’s teams achieve 11 MIAA championships and 28 top-three finishes in the NCAA Division II Championships. Notably, from 2003 to 2007, the Lincoln women’s team clinched five consecutive NCAA Division II Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Championships, a feat yet to be paralleled. In 2020, the men’s team ranked No. 1 nationally before the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships were called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Victor Thomas’s impact extends beyond the track. His athletes have excelled academically, with over 200 Blue Tigers honored on the MIAA Academic Honor Roll since 2011. His students have also garnered more than 50 MIAA Scholar Athlete Awards, with nine being named Google Cloud/CoSIDA Academic All-Americans and 11 earning spots on the Google Cloud/CoSIDA Academic All-District first team. The Lincoln women’s outdoor track and field team was notably recognized as the USTFCCCA Scholar Team of the Year in both 2017 and 2018.
The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame recognized Lincoln University’s Track & Field Program’s successes by inducting it in 2013, with Thomas himself entering the Drake Relays Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2021.
Victor Thomas, who was born in Kingston, coached several teams in Jamaica before migrating to the USA in early 2000.
