The sport Lincoln has had historically the most success in is boys' basketball. Lincoln was a basketball powerhouse in the 1970s and 1980s, led by coach John Carle from 1971 to 1982. During his 11 seasons Lincoln made it to the sub-state final eight times, including three state qualifications and the 1975 state championship. During the championship run in the 1974–75 season, the Rails finished 24–0. Coach Carle's career record at Lincoln was 181–54. Coach Carle also returned to help the 1993 squad finish 3rd at State. Since the days of Coach Carle, Lincoln has had continued success in basketball with a handful of state qualifications. They most recently qualified for state in 2007. Starting in the 2016–17 season, Lincoln's boys' basketball head coach became Justin Einerson.