Marshall University Athletics
Football
- Title:
- Defensive Coordinator / Linebackers
- Email:
- lambertb@marshall.edu
- Phone:
- -----
Brad Lambert is in his 1st season back at Marshall as the Herd’s Defensive Coordinator and Linebackers Coach after being hired by Marshall head coach Tony Gibson in January 2026.
Lambert is a successful veteran defensive coach who brings head coaching experience and nearly four decades of football experience with him in his return to Huntington.
This will be Lambert’s third career stint with Marshall in his near-40-year coaching career after most recently serving as defensive analyst at Kentucky during the 2025 season.
His previous two stints at Marshall produced immense success for the Herd defense. Lambert’s most recent stint with the Herd saw him here in 2019 and 2020 with his 2020 defensive unit leading FBS in scoring defense (13.0 ppg) with three other aspects being top-5 nationally: total defense (279.4 yards per game, No. 2 in FBS), red zone defense (66.7 percent, No. 3 in FBS) and rushing yards per game (95.5, No. 4 in FBS).
In 2019, he coached the Thundering Herd’s linebacking corps, which included Tavante Beckett, who was picked as a first-team All-Conference USA selection after leading the league with 121 tackles. Beckett teamed with second-team pick Omari Cobb and, together, the two were named the team’s co-Defensive MVPs.
Lambert’s first stint with the Herd came from 1991-95 when his defense helped lead Marshall to the FCS National Championship game in four of six seasons with the pinnacle being the 1992 National Championship win over Youngstown State.
Prior to joining the Kentucky staff for 2025, Lambert spent three seasons at Wake Forest (2022-24) as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, producing a top-50 run defense in 2023.
Following his two seasons with the Herd in 2019 and 2020, Lambert also served as co-defensive coordinator at Purdue.
Prior to returning to Marshall in 2019, Lambert spearheaded the start of the Charlotte football program, serving as the 49ers’ first head coach from 2011-18.
He took over the build of the Charlotte football program after a decade at Wake Forest (2011-10) and five seasons at Georgia (1995-2000) under Jim Donnan, whom he coached for in his first stint at Marshall from 1991-95.
A 1987 graduate of Kansas State, Lambert was a four-year letterwinner who earned second-team all-Big Eight honors as a Defensive Back in 1984. He was an Academic all-Big Eight choice from 1984-86.
Lambert and his wife, Angie, have three children: a daughter, Lucy, and sons Layne and Beau.
