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Coach Doug Thompson joined the Lincoln
University baseball staff in 2003 as an assistant coach. Now, he is entering
his third year as head coach.
Under Thompson, the Lincoln University baseball team has improved. Lincoln
finished 2005 with a 14-14 record, the most wins in program history according
to records dating back to 1970 and a six-game improvement from 2005. Thompson
has compiled a 22-20 record as head coach.
The 2006 season was Thompson’s first full season as head coach. Under Coach
Thompson, the Lions Baseball team produced the school’s first no-hitter and
five shut out games against opponents. The 2006 Lions produced the first
Lincoln baseball player to be honored with the distinguished National Collegiate
Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Player of the Week award, and five players
earned postseason recognition from the Association of Division III Independents.
The Lions also made its mark nationally that season, by finishing first in
Division III in strikeouts per nine innings and second in stolen bases.
During his first full season on staff in 2004, the Lion’s went from zero
wins in 2003 to shattering the LU single-season record for overall wins (according
to NCAA.org) during the 2004 season. The Lions ranked 31st out
of 321 NCAA III schools in team batting average, and had a player ranked
(14th ) in sacrifice hits/game for the 2004 season. Coach
Thompson was promoted to his current position (2005) after the Lions started
out 0-4. The Lions regrouped and finished 8-6 under Coach Thompson,
and 8-10 overall, establishing a school record for victories in a season.
The season was highlighted by many accomplishments as a team, including victories
over a Division II School, posting a remarkable .951 stolen base percentage,
on 98 out-of 103 attempts all within 18 games.
Coach Thompson attributes the Lions success to the dedication and outstanding
student/athletes, Assistant Coaches and over 20 years of experience in baseball
as a player, manager, and coach. The philosophies and hands on Father/Son
relationship that Coach Thompson brings and has developed into what
he calls his Pyramid of Success is “Competitive Greatness,
Self-control, Loyalty, and Team spirit, in every team sport, not just baseball,
the individual must always remember that the team is the main idea.
Every player wants to hit a homerun, score baskets, or win their heat, and
that’s a natural desire. It’s the object of the game. The
eagerness to sacrifice personal interests or glory for the welfare of the
team for ones own personal statistics, is going to make the team that much
stronger and create a winning atmosphere.
Throughout his career, Coach Thompson has either played or coached teams
that consistently made postseason play. Coach Thompson has played and coached
for a variety of amateur and semi-pro teams since 1984.
Coach Thompson has played through the ranks of baseball starting with Little
League thru College (Norfolk State University), and for the U.S. Marine Corps
teams, and other various amateur teams in California, Delaware, New Hampshire,
Japan, South Korea, and Virginia. Coach Thompson continues to play in the
Tri-State area. Coach Thompson earned a B.S. in Pre-Law with a Minor in Human
Resource Management from Wilmington College. |
