Ed Lamb was named assistant head coach of the Cougar football program on Dec. 26, 2015, by head coach Kalani Sitake. He also serves as the special teams coordinator and safeties coach for the Cougars.

Lamb comes to BYU with 19 years of coaching experience, including the last eight seasons as the head coach at Southern Utah University.

Lamb was named the American Football Coaches Association Region 5 Coach of the Year this past season after leading Southern Utah to the FCS playoffs and Big Sky Conference title. A native of Pleasanton, California, Lamb returns to his alma mater BYU where he first attended as a transfer from Ricks College in 1994. After redshirting his first season, Lamb played defensive end for the Cougars in 1995 and 1996 and later returned to serve as a graduate assistant coach on the Cougar staff in 2001.

A two-time Eddie Robinson Award finalist for national coach of the year, Lamb took an SUU program mired in a 19-game losing skid back in 2008 and turned the Thunderbirds into Great West Conference champions in 2010. Under his leadership, SUU advanced to the FCS playoffs for the first time in program history in 2013, a feat accomplished again by Lamb’s 2015 Big Sky championship team. Lamb’s teams have ranked year-in and year-out among the nation’s top FCS programs in passing, pass efficiency, total offense, receiving yards, scoring offense, punt returns, punting and tackles for loss. The T-Birds also ranked No. 1 in the Big Sky Conference in scoring defense in 2013 and 2015.

Lamb’s Thunderbird teams had more than 100 all-conference recognitions and several All-American selections during his tenure. Under his tutelage, SUU produced some the best players in T-Bird history, including NFL products Nick Miller (WR) Tysson Poots (WR), Dewayne Lewis (CB), Dion Turner (CB), Tyree Mills (CB), Cody Larsen (DT), and San Diego Chargers draft pick Brad Sorensen, SUU’s career leader in passing yards. The 2015 team has three seniors rated by the NFL as draft projections: Miles Killebrew (SS), James Cowser (DE), and LeShaun Sims (CB). Quarterback Ammon Olsen, who broke Sorensen’s SUU single-season passing yards record in 2015, has been selected to play in the NFLPA game.

Before SUU, Lamb coached at the University of San Diego from 2005-07, serving as the special teams and recruiting coordinator and defensive backs coach. He helped guide USD to three consecutive Pioneer League championships as well as back-to-back NCAA Division I-AA Mid-Major National Championships in 2005 and 2006. During his first two seasons with the Toreros, Lamb worked under current Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh.

Prior to joining USD, he spent two years as the defensive coordinator at the University of Idaho under Tom Cable, where his 2003 team finished second in the Sun Belt Conference in scoring defense. He also oversaw the Vandals secondary.

Lamb began his coaching career at the University of Redlands in California in 1997, working as a defensive line coach and becoming the defensive coordinator for the 1998-2000 seasons as a part of Mike Maynard's staff. He was a graduate assistant defensive coach on BYU’s 2001 team, working with linebackers when the Cougars went 12-2 and won the Mountain West Conference title.

As a player, Lamb contributed to four conference championship teams during his four seasons on the field for BYU and Ricks. A Cougar defensive end in 1996, BYU’s defense was one of its best, allowing just 18.7 points per game and 295.2 total yards per game. The ’96 squad went 14-1, won the Cotton Bowl and finished No. 5 nationally.

Lamb graduated from BYU in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in English and then earned a master’s in education counseling from Redlands in 1998. Lamb and his wife, Sarah, are the parents of three daughters, Anna, Amelia and Summer, and one son, Edward.

Lamb on joining BYU staff

“I’m excited to get back to BYU, a place that has been very instrumental in my life. My time on campus as a Cougar changed my life, and continues to shape who I am today. I’m looking forward to working with Coach Sitake, who has been a teammate, friend and colleague for over 20 years. I’ve enjoyed my time at Southern Utah immensely, especially working directly with the players on the team. My family and I will sorely miss being a part of the Cedar City community.”

Sitake on Lamb joining the BYU staff

“I’m excited to announce Ed Lamb as the assistant head coach at BYU. He is an experienced head coach with expertise coaching both sides of the ball as well as special teams. I value my great relationship with Ed and I’m looking forward to working closely with him at BYU.”