Brad Lambert is in his first season as co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. He was hired Jan. 21, 2021.
Lambert joined the Boilermakers after spending two seasons as the defensive coordinator and linebackers and safeties coach at Marshall. In 2020, the Thundering Herd led all Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams in scoring defense (13.0 points per game), was second in the nation in total defense (279.4 yards per game), third in red zone defense (66.7 percent) and fourth among all FBS teams in rushing defense (95.5 yards per game).
Marshall went a combined 15-8 and appeared in the Gasparilla Bowl in 2019 and the Camellia Bowl in 2020 in the two seasons with Lambert on staff.
Individually, linebacker Tavante Beckett was named the 2020 Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year and a second-team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America after leading the nation with four fumble recoveries and C-USA in tackles per game (10.0).
Prior to Marshall, Lambert served eight seasons (2011-18) as the head coach at Charlotte, starting the program from scratch. The 49ers played two years as a Football Championship Subdivision independent (2013-14) before joining C-USA in 2015. Lambert played a role in all of the development of the new program, including recruiting the first class of players, hiring a new coaching staff and the design of the stadium, practice facilities, weight room, office spaces and uniforms.
Lambert spent 10 years at Wake Forest (2001-10), serving the final three seasons as the Demon Deacons' defensive coordinator. He worked with Wake's linebackers for the first nine seasons and with the secondary for the final year. He also spent nine years as the special teams coach.
Wake Forest had five winning seasons in his 10 years in Winston-Salem, including an 11-3 campaign in 2006 that led to an Atlantic Coast Conference championship and a berth in the Orange Bowl. In 2008, Aaron Curry won the Butkus Award, presented annually to the nation's top linebacker. He led a defense that had five National Football League draft picks in Curry, Stanley Arnoux, Chip Vaughn, Alphonso Smith and Brandon Ghee.
Prior to Wake Forest, Lambert spent 11 seasons with Jim Donnan at both Marshall (1990-95) and Georgia (1996-2000).
While at Georgia, he helped guide the Bulldogs to four bowl titles, including the 1998 and 2000 Outback Bowls, 1998 Peach Bowl and 2000 Oahu Bowl. He held a number of different roles at Georgia, serving as the defensive line coach (1996-98), special teams coordinator (1996-98), linebackers coach (1998-99) and working with the secondary (2000).
In his first stint at Marshall, he helped lead the Herd to the 1992 Division I-AA title with a 31-28 victory over Youngstown State. In total, Marshall appeared in four I-AA title games (1991, 1992, 1993 and 1995) with Lambert on the coaching staff. He worked with the secondary (1991-95) and defensive ends (1990) in Huntington.
He got his start in collegiate coaching as a graduate assistant at Oklahoma (1988-89)
Lambert graduated from Kansas State in 1987 with a degree in business finance. He was a four-year letterwinnner as a defensive back for the Wildcats, earning second-team All- Big Eight honors in 1984 and Academic All-Big Eight honors three times (1984-86).
Lambert and his wife, Angie, have three children; a daughter, Lucy, and sons Layne and Beau.
Lambert joined the Boilermakers after spending two seasons as the defensive coordinator and linebackers and safeties coach at Marshall. In 2020, the Thundering Herd led all Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams in scoring defense (13.0 points per game), was second in the nation in total defense (279.4 yards per game), third in red zone defense (66.7 percent) and fourth among all FBS teams in rushing defense (95.5 yards per game).
Marshall went a combined 15-8 and appeared in the Gasparilla Bowl in 2019 and the Camellia Bowl in 2020 in the two seasons with Lambert on staff.
Individually, linebacker Tavante Beckett was named the 2020 Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year and a second-team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America after leading the nation with four fumble recoveries and C-USA in tackles per game (10.0).
Prior to Marshall, Lambert served eight seasons (2011-18) as the head coach at Charlotte, starting the program from scratch. The 49ers played two years as a Football Championship Subdivision independent (2013-14) before joining C-USA in 2015. Lambert played a role in all of the development of the new program, including recruiting the first class of players, hiring a new coaching staff and the design of the stadium, practice facilities, weight room, office spaces and uniforms.
Lambert spent 10 years at Wake Forest (2001-10), serving the final three seasons as the Demon Deacons' defensive coordinator. He worked with Wake's linebackers for the first nine seasons and with the secondary for the final year. He also spent nine years as the special teams coach.
Wake Forest had five winning seasons in his 10 years in Winston-Salem, including an 11-3 campaign in 2006 that led to an Atlantic Coast Conference championship and a berth in the Orange Bowl. In 2008, Aaron Curry won the Butkus Award, presented annually to the nation's top linebacker. He led a defense that had five National Football League draft picks in Curry, Stanley Arnoux, Chip Vaughn, Alphonso Smith and Brandon Ghee.
Prior to Wake Forest, Lambert spent 11 seasons with Jim Donnan at both Marshall (1990-95) and Georgia (1996-2000).
While at Georgia, he helped guide the Bulldogs to four bowl titles, including the 1998 and 2000 Outback Bowls, 1998 Peach Bowl and 2000 Oahu Bowl. He held a number of different roles at Georgia, serving as the defensive line coach (1996-98), special teams coordinator (1996-98), linebackers coach (1998-99) and working with the secondary (2000).
In his first stint at Marshall, he helped lead the Herd to the 1992 Division I-AA title with a 31-28 victory over Youngstown State. In total, Marshall appeared in four I-AA title games (1991, 1992, 1993 and 1995) with Lambert on the coaching staff. He worked with the secondary (1991-95) and defensive ends (1990) in Huntington.
He got his start in collegiate coaching as a graduate assistant at Oklahoma (1988-89)
Lambert graduated from Kansas State in 1987 with a degree in business finance. He was a four-year letterwinnner as a defensive back for the Wildcats, earning second-team All- Big Eight honors in 1984 and Academic All-Big Eight honors three times (1984-86).
Lambert and his wife, Angie, have three children; a daughter, Lucy, and sons Layne and Beau.