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Brad Lambert starts his eighth season with the Demon Deacons and his first as defensive coordinator. Wake Forest's linebacker coach for the past six years, Lambert was promoted to defensive coordinator prior to spring practice in 2008.
Lambert will take over a defense that ranked 27th in the nation in total defense in 2007, limiting foes to 340.4 yards per game. It marked the second-best defensive effort in the seven years of the Jim Grobe era. The Deacon defenders held opponents to 109.4 rushing yards per game, the fourth-best effort in school history.
In 2008, the Deacons will return nine defensive starters including All-ACC selections Alphonso Smith at cornerback and Aaron Curry at linebacker. Wake Forest led the nation in defensive touchdowns in 2007, scoring on six interception returns and two fumble returns.
As Wake's linebacker coach, Lambert will welcome back all three starters and six lettermen. Curry, Stanley Arnoux and Chantz McClinic will form the nucleus of what could be one of the top linebacking corps in the country.
The productivity of Lambert's linebackers were a key reason why Wake Forest limited its 2006 opponents to just 15.4 points per game to rank second in the ACC and 12th nationally. The Deacon defense was stingy against the run, giving up just 105.8 rushing yards per game, the third-best mark in Wake Forest history.
Lambert's brightest star was Jon Abbate who earned first team All-ACC and honorable mention All-America status. Abbate became only the third player in ACC history to lead his team in tackles as a freshman, sophomore and a junior. Abbate also became the first Deacon to forego his senior season for the NFL Draft. He is currently a member of the Houston Texans.
Under Lambert's guidance, some of the program's most exciting young talent began to emerge. A trio of redshirt freshmen, including Curry and Arnoux, showed a great deal of promise in 2005.
Curry, in particular, took the ACC by storm. His 7.5 tackles for loss ranked among the top freshmen nationally. He earned second team Freshman All-America honors from The Sporting News.
Despite having only one senior linebacker, Wake Forest limited opposing rushing attack to just 133.5 yards per game. That equaled the fifth-best rushing defense in Wake Forest history.
In 2004, Lambert coached Abbate to honorable mention All-ACC honors and runner-up for ACC Rookie of the Year. Brad White ranked second on the team with 7.5 tackles for loss.
Lambert guided the inside linebackers during his first season with the Deacons. Wake Forest's starting inside linebackers in 2001, Marquis Hopkins and Kellen Brantley, finished the season as the team's top two tacklers.
While the rest of the football staff moved south from Athens, Ohio, to Wake Forest in 2001, Lambert headed north from Athens, Ga. to accept the position of coaching the Deacon linebackers. Lambert served as an assistant coach at the University of Georgia for the previous five seasons.
Lambert held a variety of roles within Georgia's defensive system over his five seasons with the Bulldogs. In 2000, he coached the secondary after working with the linebackers, special teams and defensive ends in previous seasons.
Lambert guided cornerback Tim Wansley to All-Southeastern Conference honors after he led the league in interceptions in 2000. That season the Bulldog defense broke a school record for interceptions for touchdowns. In 1999, Lambert coached two All-SEC linebackers -- Kendrell Bell and Orantes Grant.
UGA went to four straight postseason bowl games -- winning all four -- during Lambert's stint at Georgia.
Prior to his tenure at Georgia, Lambert coached five seasons at Marshall. In 1994, Lambert helped guide a defensive unit that led the conference and ranked 10th nationally in pass efficiency defense.
In 1991, Lambert facilitated the moving of Roger Johnson, a running back, to free safety where he went on to become 1991 Southern Conference Defensive Freshman of the Year and later earned All-American status in 1993 and 1994.
Under Lambert, Marshall defensive backs returned seven interceptions for touchdowns, twice for 100 yards.
Lambert began his coaching career as a graduate assistant coach at the University of Oklahoma from 1988-89. A 1987 graduate of Kansas State University, Lambert played four seasons for the Wildcats, earning academic All-Big Eight honors three times. He was a second team All-Big Eight selection in 1984.
Lambert, a native of Hoxie, Kan., is married to the former Angie Townson of Charleston, W. Va. They have three children -- daughter, Lucy, and sons, Layne and Beau.
