Head coach Tre Lamb is in his third season in charge of the Gardner-Webb program, and has his Runnin’ Bulldogs poised for a breakout season with 61 returning letterwinners and 24 returning starters back for the 2022 season. Intent on building a program for long term success, Lamb has constructed a roster filled with veterans. The Calhoun, Ga., native has also put a major emphasis on improving overall team speed, conditioning and pace. The stage is set.
Lamb won his debut in decisive fashion, rallying his troops for a 42-20 win over No. 24 Elon on February 27, 2021 in Spangler Stadium. He followed with another win over Presbyterian and finished the abbreviated spring season with a 2-2 mark. Lamb is just the second head coach in the program’s senior college history (since 1970) to finish at .500 or better in his inaugural season at the helm. The traditional 2021 season saw Lamb’s squad nearly upset Georgia Southern in the opener and fight to the wire throughout the season – which concluded with a road win at North Carolina A&T in the finale.
Lamb, included on the AFCA’s annual list of top young coaches in the country in 2021, was hired in December, 2019 after serving as offensive coordinator at Ohio Valley Conference member Tennessee Tech for two seasons. He was impressive on the press conference podium and handled the pandemic shut down and recruiting like a seasoned veteran. His penchant for handling tough situations shouldn’t be a surprise – as football runs deep in the Lamb family. Tre Lamb is just the latest to rise to the position of head coach.
His father, Hal, recently retired after a legendary career and three state titles at Calhoun (Ga.) High. His grandfather, Ray, won three state championships during a career that included head coaching stops at Warren County (Ga.) High, Commerce (Ga.) High and Monroe Area (Ga.) High. Uncle Bobby Lamb has more than 100 wins and four national playoff appearances during a Division I coaching career at Furman and Mercer.
Lamb was part of a coaching staff at Tennessee Tech in 2019 that engineered one of the biggest turnarounds in Division I FCS nationally. The Golden Eagles won just two games combined in 2017 and 2018, but bumped that win total to six games this past season.
Lamb’s offensive mastery was on full display in the 2019 opener, as the Golden Eagles racked up 671 yards of total offense in a 59-58 win over Samford. Tennessee Tech went on to score more than 30 points five times in 2019 and finished second in the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring offense (29.0 ppg) and offensive plays (893).
The Golden Eagles ranked third in the conference in pass offense and pass efficiency, fourth in rushing offense – and led the OVC in time of possession.
Quarterback Bailey Fisher broke six Tech records on his way to a second-team All-OVC nod. The sophomore passed for 2,643 yards and 21 touchdowns while rushing for 489 more and 11 scores. Freshman receiver Metrius Fleming also earned All-OVC honors after catching 47 balls for 629 yards and three touchdowns. He also had two rushing touchdowns, a 91-yard kick return touchdown and 1,200 all-purpose yards.
Fisher was named the OVC Freshman of the Year under Lamb’s guidance in 2018 and was a finalist for the prestigious STATS FCS Jerry Rice Award.
Prior to returning to his alma mater, Lamb called the plays for Mercer in 2017 and spent four seasons as the quarterbacks coach for the Bears. He mentored John Russ to an outstanding career and helped freshman Kaelan Riley to a spot on the Jerry Rice Award Watch List and Southern Conference Freshman of the Year honors in 2017. Lamb served as the quarterbacks coach at Tennessee Tech in 2013.
As a player, Lamb played quarterback at Tennessee Tech from 2009-2012, serving as team captain his final three seasons. He led the Golden Eagles to an OVC title in 2011, the program’s first since 1975, and a spot in the NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs for the first time. Lamb was outstanding during his team’s title run, directing an offense that set nine school records, including single-season marks for points scored (355), scoring average (32.3 ppg) and most first downs in a season (238).
The program’s Robert Hill Johnson Award winner, Lamb set three individual school records himself in 2011, establishing new marks for single-game attempts and completions and the single-season record for total offense with 2,555 yards.
He finished his career with 5,301 passing yards, which ranks third in program history. He passed for a school-record 481 yards vs. Southeast Missouri State as a senior.
Lamb played for his father, Hal, at Calhoun (Ga.) High before joining the college ranks, posting a 21-4 record as a starter under center. A first-team All-State selection in 2007, he passed for 2,232 yards and 27 touchdowns as a senior.
Lamb graduated from Tennessee Tech with a degree in interdisciplinary studies, education and exercise science. He and his wife, Carter, are the proud parents of two daughters – Olivia James and Drew Nix. The family resides in Shelby, N.C.
