Lincoln University Athletics

Victor “Poppy” Thomas enters his seventh year as Lincoln University’s head cross country/track and field coach. He came to Lincoln after two years at Gardner-Webb University as an assistant coach. He is a native of Kingston, Jamaica in the West Indies. He got his first Tertiary Education at Mico Teachers College where he earned his diploma in teacher education. Thomas got his bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from G.C. Foster College in St. Catherine, Jamaica and his master’s degree from Gardner-Webb in Boiling Spring, North Carolina. He is an IAAAF level-3 coach who specializes in sprints, jumps and hurdles. He has been coaching both junior and senior athletes for over 20 years.

At Lincoln University, Thomas has coached his women’s team to nine NCAA National Championships. His first title came in 2003 at the outdoor national championships where his athletes won seven events, one short of the record for a first place finishes at the Division II level. He went on to coach his team to the 2004 indoor and outdoor national championships.

Thomas has coached over 40 national champions, fourteen relay national champions, and over 150 All-Americans. He has also been the head coach of the Jamaican Junior Pan American Games National Team, the C.A.C Games National Team and has been on the senior Pan American Games team coaching staff as a hurdles coach.

The Kingston, Jamaica native has tutored three Olympic athletes during his coaching career including 1992 Olympian Ralston Wright, Veronica Findley (1984 and ’88), and Mitchell Francis (1994). Thomas has also shared his expertise with 1995 and 1997 World University Games hurdler Patrina Allen.