Barry University Athletics

Entering his 30^th season overall with Barry University tennis in 2019-20, Dr. George Samuel has guided the men’s tennis team to postseason play nearly every year, achieving his ultimate goal four times by winning the 2010, 2013, 2015 and 2019 NCAA Division II National Championships.

Entering the 2020 season, Samuel owns a 568-138 overall record with the men's program, and has led the Buccaneers to 25 national tournament appearances, advancing every year since 1995. In addition to his four national championships, his teams have finished runner-up seven times, setting an NCAA Division II record for appearances in the championship match.

Barry posted an outstanding season in 2019, going undefeated against Division II competition and winning the national championship. The Bucs won the Sunshine State Conference regular season and tournament championships. It was their 15^th tournament title since 1997 and their fourth regular season championship since 2014. Pierre Montrieul and Alejandro Ibañez Palacios earned ITA singles All-America honors, while Blake Bayldon joined Montreul for a doubles commendation. Samuel was named the league's Coach of the Year for the 16^th time. No other coach has ever won more than four.

Samuel constructed a team in 2018 that finished 25-3 with an NCAA Division II national runner-up trophy. It was the seventh time his teams have finished as the runner-up. Barry won the SSC Tournament and South Region championships for the 14^th times, respectively, under Samuel's watch. It marked the 24^th consecutive trip to the national tournament for the Buccaneers in Samuel's reign. He coached a pair of singles All-Americans in Montrieul, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's National Player to Watch, and Carlos Gomez.

In 2017, the Buccaneers went 26-2 under Samuel, finishing as the NCAA runner-up. Barry won the SSC regular season and postseason tournament titles, while also capturing the South Region championship. Samuel coached three All-Americans in Ahmed Triki, Gomez and Montrieul. Triki became the school's first four-time All-American in singles and doubles. Triki was named the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's National Senior Player of the Year. He also was named the SSC Player of the Year for the third time in his career. Nico Dreer was named the ITA's National Most Improved Senior. Gomez was named the SSC Freshman of the Year. Triki became the first player in league history to earn First Team All-SSC honors in singles and doubles. Triki also broke the school career doubles record with 84 victories. Samuel was named the SSC Coach of the Year for the 15^th time in his career.

In 2016, Samuel's team went 14-7, and finished the season ranked 10th in the nation. The Bucs qualified for the national tournament for the 22nd straight year. Barry fell in the NCAA South Region Championship, 5-4, to No. 8 Valdosta State. Renato Lombardi and Triki earned ITA doubles All-American honors. Triki was also named a singles All-American after posting his second straight 15-0 season.

In 2015, the Buccaneers went 26-0, beating Hawai'i Pacific, 5-3, in the national championship match in Surprise, Arizona. It marked Barry's second perfect season under Samuel, both of which culminated in NCAA Championships in Surprise. Samuel was named the ITA South Region Coach of the Year. His team also won the Sunshine State Conference regular season and tournament titles. It marked the fifth straight SSC Tournament title and 12th overall for Samuel's teams. Triki and senior Fabian Groetsch were the No. 1-ranked doubles team in the country, earning All-American honors. Both collected singles All-American honors as well. Triki became the first player in the program's history to win 15 matches without losing.

In 2014, the Buccaneers went 25-3, bowing out in the NCAA semifinals. Barry finished the season with a No. 3 national ranking. Samuel was named the Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year for a league-record 14th time and seventh in a row, dating back to 2008. His team won the SSC Tournament for a third consecutive year, while also capturing the first regular season title in league history. The Bucs also won the South Region 2 championship. Senior Ollie Lemaitre, Triki and Groetsch earned All-American honors.

In 2013, Samuel's team put together the best season in school history. No. 1 Barry went 29-0, beating No. 2 Armstrong Atlantic, 5-4, in the NCAA Championship match in Surprise. The Bucs won the Nos. 1 and 2 doubles matches, both in exciting 9-8 tiebreakers to complete a sweep after pairs play. After Romain Costamagna won his No. 4 singles match in straight sets to give Barry a 4-1 lead, the momentum shifted. Armstrong won three straight singles matches, and led 4-1 in the third set at No. 5 singles. But Barry's Leo Vivas responded, rallying to win the set, 7-5, to clinch the national title. It was the second time during the season the Bucs beat the Pirates, 5-4. It also marked the first time in school history Barry went undefeated in a season. The Bucs also won South Region 1 and SSC Tournament titles. Samuel was named the ITA Division II National Coach of the Year, ITA South Region Coach of the Year and SSC Coach of the Year in 2013. His top doubles team of senior Marco Mokrzycki and Groetsch were the No. 1-ranked duo in the country.

In 2012, the Buccaneers finished 22-6, winning the SSC Tournament. Barry went 12-5 against nationally-ranked teams. The Bucs' season ended in the NCAA South Regional, where they fell 5-2 to arch-rival Lynn. Barry knocked off defending national champion Valdosta State twice during the season, the latter victory coming in the opening round of the regional. Barry finished the year ranked No. 4 in the country. Mokrzycki, Groetsch and Leo Vivas each received All-American honors.

In 2011, Barry went 22-8, falling to Valdosta State, 5-2, in the national title match. The Bucs finished the season ranked No. 5 in the country. It marked the fourth straight year Barry advanced to the national title match. In 2010, the Bucs won the national championship following a 25-4 season. Though the Bucs suffered regular-season losses to No. 1 Armstrong Atlantic, No. 6 Ouachita Baptist and No. 3 Lynn, the team stormed through the SSC tournament and the South Regional en route to a showdown with Valdosta State in the national championship, where despite falling behind 4-2, the team won four of the six singles matches to capture the program’s first title.

The Bucs avenged their early-season losses to Lynn in the SSC tournament, Ouachita Baptist in the regional final and Armstrong Atlantic in the NCAA quarterfinals. Three Buccaneers earned ITA All-America accolades as Mokrzycki and Ales Svigelj took singles honors. Max Wimmer and Svigelj were doubles recipients.

In 2009, Samuel coached Barry to a 27-3 overall record, a 5-1 SSC record, a 12-1 regional record and an undefeated 13-0 home mark. The Buccaneers held the nation’s top ranking for the entire month of March and into April. Samuel’s team plowed through the NCAA Tournament defeating No. 28 BYU-Hawaii, No. 7 Georgia College and No. 12 Concordia. Barry, for the second straight year, faced Armstrong Atlantic in the national championship match and lost 5-4.

In 2008, Samuel’s Buccaneers advanced to the finals of the NCAA Tournament for the third time in school history, facing powerhouse Armstrong Atlantic. Barry lost the match 5-0 but took home the national runner-up trophy.

Barry made its 14th consecutive appearance at the NCAA South Regional Tournament in 2007 and advanced to the national tournament with a hard-earned 5-1 win over Rollins. After upsetting No. 2 Drury University in the round of 16, the Bucs were defeated, 5-2, by UC San Diego in the quarterfinals. Samuel led the squad to the NCAA South Regional Tournament in 2006, with the men advancing to the national semifinals. Thomas Hipp and teammate Patrick Rittenauer both earned ITA singles and doubles All-American honors.

In 2005, the men advanced to the national quarterfinals. The squad posted a 21-2 record, with a winning percentage of .913, as they captured their second consecutive and seventh overall SSC title. Three Buccaneers received ITA All-American honors. Sebastian Losavio and Hipp made the singles list, while Hipp joined with his partner Rittenauer in doubles, going undefeated on the season, earning the No. 1 ranking in the country.

In 2004, the men advanced to the first round of the NCAA Championship. Thomas Hipp garnered All-American honors in singles and joined up with doubles partner Gerold Wiring for All-American accolades. The men finished the season with a 21-6 overall record and a 4-1 performance in the SSC.

In 2003, the men’s team had a record-setting year with 23 wins, a school-best at the time. The team finished the year with only four losses and won their fourth SSC title, while also advancing to the NCAA nationals for the tenth time in school history. Samir M’Bioka and Thomas Hipp both earned First-Team All-SSC honors, while Hipp was dubbed the SSC Freshman of the Year and M’Bioka an ITA All-American.

In 2002, facing an injury-plagued season, the men’s team finished 11-10 overall, with M’Bioka and Losavio picking up First-Team All-SSC honors in singles and doubles. M’Bioka earned his first ITA All-American honor, while Losavio was named SSC Freshman of the Year.

In 2001, Samuel led the men to a 19-4 record and their eighth consecutive regional qualifier. However, the Bucs fell short of reaching their seventh consecutive appearance to the NCAA National Championship after falling to Francis Marion in the regional finals. In 2000, he led the squads to the NCAA National Championship for the seventh-consecutive season. The men made it to the first round of the nationals.

In addition to his work with the men’s program, Samuel led the women’s tennis program for 18 years, from 1991-2008, coaching the Buccaneers to national tournament appearances 16 times. His women's teams went 308-122 during that time.

Samuel also boasts academic excellence in his program. Samuel has coached 42 men's players and 35 women's players who earned Scholar All-American honors. His teams have consistently ranked among the best at Barry in terms of cumulative grade point average.

Samuel has been named NCAA South Region Men's Coach of the Year eight times. He was honored by his peers for two straight seasons in 1998 and 1999 again in 2005, and three straight times in 2007, 2008 and 2009 before collecting the honor again in 2013 and 2015. He also earned a prestigious double as he became only the second SSC tennis conference coach to be named both men’s and women’s Coach of the Year during the same season in 1998 and again in 2005. He has won the SSC men’s award 14 times (1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014), the most of any tennis coach in the SSC.

A native of Miami, Samuel was ranked No. 10 in the state of Florida in the men’s open division during his storied playing career. He starred for Miami-Dade North Community College from 1981-83 and for East Tennessee State University from 1983-85.

Samuel is a graduate of Miami-Dade North, East Tennessee State and Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. His owns a doctoral degree from SIU-Carbondale.