Samuel Estrada enters his first season as head men's soccer coach in 2024 after being named the sixth bench boss in program history in April 2024.

A native of San Salvador, El Salvador, Estrada returns to lead the Golden Eagles after a four-year career in the Blue and Gold. The midfielder appeared in 56 matches from 2017-20, making 25 starts as an upperclassman, while posting five assists.

As a junior in 2019, the eventual team captain started 14 times in 20 appearances and racked up nearly 1,400 minutes in the midfield, helping the Golden Eagles to a 17-4-1 record and Sooner Athletic regular season and tournament titles. John Brown also made its most recent appearance in the NAIA National Championships that season, knocking off Southeastern (Fla.) in penalties before falling to eventual national semifinalist Lindsey Wilson (Ky.).

Estrada has assisted with the men's soccer program since graduating in 2021, but has primarily spent the previous three years as a mainstay in the John Brown University admissions department, focusing on incoming students from Missouri, Illinois and Wisconsin in addition to international students and children of missionaries.

After graduating with a bachelor's degree in psychology from JBU, Estrada continued through the graduate program, earning a Master of Business Administration while specializing in design thinking and innovation in 2023.

Estrada and his wife, Katie '21, reside in Tontitown, Ark.