MOBILE, Ala. (January 5, 2022) – Spring Hill College (SHC) has named Samantha Thomsit as its new women's soccer head coach. In 2021, Thomsit completed her fourth season as assistant coach on the University of South Alabama (USA) women's soccer team under head coach Richard Moodie, helping lead the Jaguars to the NCAA Tournament with a 12-5-3 record and their third consecutive Sun Belt Conference (SBC) title.

"I am extremely excited to be named the next head women's soccer Coach at Spring Hill College and begin to help lead the program towards a stronger future," Thomsit said. "The opportunity to put my own stamp on the program and build a winning tradition here at Spring Hill is very exciting. I'm thankful to be part of an institution so rich in history and highly regarded academically. I can't wait to be part of the Spring Hill community.

"I would like to thank [college President] Joe Lee, [Athletic Director] Joe Niland and [Deputy Athletic Director] Chad LeBlanc for entrusting me with this position and I look forward to working with them and the entirety of the Spring Hill athletic staff and college," Thomsit added. "I also would like to thank my family back in England and my husband, Walker Bullington, for their constant support and encouragement."

While at USA, Thomsit assisted in player development, starting with the goalkeepers in the beginning of the 2020 season and moving into field player supervision. She was essential in player development at USA while fostering player growth in individual technical training sessions. Her efforts succeeded with eight players winning seasonal honors, 26 placements as all-conference selections, and numerous SBC Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week awards.

The USA defense was one of the league's best during the 2018 conference season as the Jags permitted just six goals in 10 games to rank second in the league in goals allowed and goals against average (0.57).

"We are excited to have Samantha coming onboard here at Spring Hill," Niland said. "She brings a background of working in a very successful program at South Alabama under Coach Moodie. Her coaching experience at South and playing in a successful program at Carson Newman will help our program here SHC take that critical next step needed to compete at the highest level of NCAA Division II."

Thomsit spent the three years before joining USA at Burlingame Soccer Club as the U17 and U10 women's soccer head coach where in three years she also served as the club's United States Development Academy Travel Coordinator in addition to her head coaching duties. She coordinated all travel for USDA tournaments, directed the Path to College Program and coordinated girls' camps among other duties.

Thomsit also spent a year at Saint Cecilia's Private Catholic School as a K-8 physical education teacher and worked the summer of 2015 at the Headfirst Atlanta Braves Camp where her responsibilities included stadium tours and organizing player meet-and-greets.

In 2014, Thomsit joined the staff at the JSSL/Arsenal Soccer School in Singapore, managing the U6, U10 and U15 teams.

After graduating from Carson-Newman University in 2013 with a degree in physical education, Thomsit served as the U18 head coach for Knoxville Soccer Academy and the head coach for Cherokee High School in Rogersville, Tenn.

As a player, Thomsit started 15 times as a freshman on a team that went 20-3-1, won the South Atlantic Conference regular season and tournament championships, and advanced to the quarterfinals in the NCAA Tournament. She suffered a season-ending injury early in her sophomore season, but started all 16 games as a senior and recorded one point.

A native of Trowbridge, England, Thomsit is an FA Level 1 and USSF D licensed coach and has her NSCAA Level 2 Goalkeeping Diploma.