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Hannibal-LaGrange College

Hannibal, MO 63401
Missouri Midwest
Private Small Developing team
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Cody Smith

Smith returns after being part of the HLGU program for six seasons (2011-2016). He was elevated to head coach in 2014. Smith graduated from Hannibal-LaGrange in 2009 and became the women's soccer program's assistant coach in 2011, working primarily with the goalkeepers.


"I am thankful and excited to be back working with HLGU. I am looking forward to getting started right away and building this program. I want to say thank you to Clay Biggs and the HLGU administration with trusting me to take this position," stated Smith.


Smith has his NSCAA national coaching diploma and Levels 1 and 2 goalkeeping diplomas. He has also earned USSF Class F and Class E coaching licenses. He has worked with Quincy United Soccer Club since 2012 and with the Missouri State Girls Olympic Development Program since 2015.


HLGU Athletic Director, Clay Biggs added, "We are very pleased that Coach Smith will be returning to HLGU. In addition to his strong coaching ability and background, Cody's familiarity with our institution and numerous connections for recruitment set the stage for a strong revival of our Women's Soccer Program."

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Lucas Almeida

Almeida, a native of Brazil, joins HLGU after spending the past 5 years as an assistant coach at Fontbonne University where he received a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (2020). During his time at Fontbonne, he assisted the head coach with various aspects of the program including recruiting, execution of practices, game day operations, and fundraising. In addition to his duties at Fontbonne, Almeida has played professional soccer for the past eight years with the St. Louis Ambush (MASL). Almeida was elevated to the coaching staff of the Ambush in 2022. His responsibilities include planning training sessions, team meetings and video sessions while working closely with the head coach. Before signing with the Ambush, Almeida played for the Tulsa Revolution in 2014-15, leading the team in points, goals and assists and received honorable mention accolades for the rookie team of the year in the MASL. Also, in 2015 he participated in the WFM World-Cup (indoor soccer) as a member of the Brazilian National Team.


Coach Almeida also has strong ties to soccer clubs in the region as he has served as the Director of the Girls Prospect (U17-U19) for Lou Fusz Athletics since 2021 and is the head coach of Maritsa FC in St. Louis since 2020. As director, he has been responsible for player development, working directly with many coaches to help in roster formation and planning for competition. Almeida has also worked as the director of coaching for the St. Louis Hawks soccer club from 2019 to 2022 where he was responsible for player development, planning practices and the evaluation of coaches. In addition, Almeida has served as the head coach for the Missouri Rush (2017-2019), The Fulton School at St. Albans (2016-2017), and as assistant coach for Clinton High School in 2015.


Almeida received a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Oklahoma Wesleyan University in 2014 where he was a four-year starter and captain of the soccer team. Almeida’s success on and off the field at OKWU resulted in a recent induction to the school’s Hall of Fame.


Almeida is very familiar with the rich tradition of HLGU soccer through competition and personal relationships with several Trojan Alumni. Coach Almeida stated, “It is an honor to be hired as the new head coach for such a great soccer program. From playing against them in college, to now, HLGU has always been a very competitive program and I look forward to maintaining its tradition. I would like to thank Clay Biggs and the administration for their trust in me and I cannot wait to get started.”

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