Following a legendary career as a collegiate men's basketball coach and athletic administrator, Maryville College's Randy Lambert has been selected for induction into the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame on Tuesday, July 21st.
Randy Lambert concluded his 40th year of employment at Maryville College in June 2020 and he has decided to gracefully move into retirement. After four decades at his Alma Mater and serving in several capacities, Lambert feels its time to leave. "I had a great time and I developed lasting relationships with so many staff members, fellow coaches, and young student-athletes," Lambert explains. "To think you can live out your dreams in your own backyard and coach the sport you love while sharing this great experience with family and friends, it has been so special."
Lambert is no stranger to the Maryville community. He was born and raised in Maryville by his parents, Harold and Jean Lambert. He graduated from Maryville High School in 1972, and continued his education at Maryville College. "I was a very average high school basketball player, but I played for some great coaches. Bill Phillips, Jim Campbell, and Don Story taught me the fundamentals of basketball and demonstrated their love of working with young people, which helped me develop my passion for coaching," Lambert said. "I loved the game and would play any chance I could," Lambert continues. "By the time I got to college with Coach Boydson Baird, my skills and intensity for the game had developed." As a member of the Scots basketball team, Lambert was a four-year starter and garnered numerous honors, including being the 16th leading scorer in the nation at 23.7 points per game his senior year. With 1,489 points, he is currently listed as the eighth leading scorer in MC Basketball history.
After college graduation in 1976, Lambert received his Masters in Physical Education from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and served as a traveling physical education instructor for the Knoxville City Schools. His first teaching and coaching job was at Lenoir City High School. Lambert reflects on his Lenoir City experience, "I was an assistant for one of the best high school coaches in East Tennessee at the time, Willie Joe Smalley. Coach Smalley taught me so much in regards to practice organization, work commitment, and dealing with players and parents. When it came to the X's and O's, he was one of the best around."
While working at a University of Kentucky Summer Basketball Camp for Joe Hall in the summer of 1980, Lambert received a call from Maryville College and was offered the head basketball position. He would replace another aspiring young coach, Knoxville's own, Rick Byrd. At the age of 25, he would become the youngest head coach in the NCAA at the time and would begin a career of 39 seasons at the helm of his Alma Mater. In his first year, his team finished 15-11, which was the most wins in 32 years! The best was yet to come. As he continued to develop the program, his 1984-85 team registered a 17-8 record clinching the college's first conference championship in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. During the remaining seasons of the 80's, the MC Cagers recorded a string of winning records. Based on its consistency of winning and its up-tempo style of play, the program was beginning to receive national recognition. Lambert's talented troops of the 90's began an unprecedented National Tournament run.
The 1990-91 team shattered every school record in basketball. The team finished 22-5 and participated in the NCAA Division III National Tournament, the first such trip in MC's Basketball history. Lambert's 91-92 squad did even better, ending the season with a 24-5 record. This outstanding team was ranked sixth nationally in the final poll and received the No. 1 Seed in the South for the National Tournament. This team advanced to the Elite Eight before falling to Bo Ryan's Wisconsin-Platteville University by a score of 87-83 in O.T. "This team was good enough to win it all. I had a solid player at every position with depth. Sometimes, it just boils down to match-ups and making a few shots at the right time", Lambert remembers. "I really wanted to bring a national championship banner back to Maryville, I was so disappointed." The twenty-win seasons and national tournament berths continued and the Scots posted twelve consecutive seasons of the newly established benchmark. Continuing on into the 2000's, Lambert's Scots tallied an amazing .797 winning percentage for the next 10 years, which was ranked 7th nationally! "I was blessed to coach young men who had the same drive and motivation as I had. With quality assistants and dedicated players, my job was easy and, boy, did we have some fun. Hopefully, I was able to impact their lives as much as they did mine," Lambert reflects. In 2018-19, Lambert concluded his illustrious career with yet another conference championship and an NCAA Tournament Bid. The highlights of his career are summarized below:
- 39 seasons as a head coach, all at MC
- 20 trips to NCAA Division III National Tournament, 3 Sweet Sixteen appearances
- 20 Twenty-win seasons
- 722-325 overall record with a .689 winning percentage
- Eighth coach in D-III to win over 700 games
- 42nd all-time, all divisions in wins in NCAA Basketball history
- 4th coach in all divisions in NCAA to win all of the 700 games at his alma mater
- Coached 42 All-conference players and five All-Americans
As if coaching was not enough, Lambert also served as MC's Athletic Director from 1985 to 2008. During his 23 years, the department experienced an amazing turnaround in its success. From greatly improved winning percentages amongst its sports to a higher retention of student-athletes, the Scots began to be recognized as one of the South's finest NCAA Division III programs. The athletic facilities also received a much-needed facelift during his tenure. A one-million-dollar renovation of Cooper Athletic Center, a $500,000 development of the football facility, six new tennis courts, and improvements to the baseball, softball, and soccer fields were some of the featured changes. He was also very instrumental in the origination of the Great South Athletic Conference in 2000 and served as its Commissioner for two years. For the past year, Lambert was the Coordinator of the Athletic Facilities Campaign at the college, a proposed, ambitious 22 million-dollar major overhaul of the Athletic facilities. "The college has been very good to me and my family. I am hoping I can have an impact on preparing for the needs of the next generation of student-athletes. I really believe in our mission. We are giving our students the life lessons that are necessary to be productive citizens," Lambert adds.
As if his service to the college is not enough, Coach Lambert has had quite a positive influence on the Maryville community. His summer basketball camps have served thousands of young boys and girls over the years. He has served on the boards of the Boys and Girls Clubs, the Red Cross, Harbour's Gate Ministry, Greene Co. Bank, Blount County Athletic Hall of Fame, and Maryville First United Methodist Church. He was a long-time Walk Chairman for Alzheimer's Tennessee. He was also very active in the NCAA and the National Association of Basketball Coaches, where he served on various regional and national committees. Lambert was inducted into the Maryville College Wall of Fame in 1991 and given the MC Presidential Citation in 2007. He was inducted into the Blount County Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004. He continues to live in Maryville with his wife, Laney. They have three children (Kami, Jason, and Wes) and five grandchildren (Kaylee, Emma, Isaac, Luke, and Sutton). When asked about his retirement, Lambert concludes, "You have to continue to serve and have a real purpose in life. I plan on spending more time with my children and grandchildren. I will continue to volunteer and be active in the community and at the college. It is time for me to pay back those who gave me so much. I may even find some time to play a round or two of golf."
The Lambert Era
1980-1981 15-11
1981-1982 7-19
1982-1983 12-14
1983-1984 10-16
1984-1985 17-8
1985-1986 14-12
1986-1987 10-15
1987-1988 18-7
1988-1989 16-10
1989-1990 17-7
1990-1991 22-5
1991-1992 25-4
1992-1993 20-6
1993-1994 18-7
1994-1995 20-7
1995-1996 18-7
1996-1997 23-5
1997-1998 16-9
1998-1999 22-5
1999-2000 24-4
2000-2001 23-5
2001-2002 24-5
2002-2003 22-6
2003-2004 23-6
2004-2005 22-7
2005-2006 21-8
2006-2007 22-7
2007-2008 24-3
2008-2009 20-7
2009-2010 23-5
2010-2011 16-10
2011-2012 18-10
2012-2013 10-14
2013-2014 18-8
2014-2015 15-13
2015-2016 14-11
2016-2017 20-7
2017-2018 22-7
2018-2019 21-8
Career (39) 722-325 (.689)
