JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – ACU women’s basketball head coach Erika Lambert has been hired at the University of North Florida as the new head coach. The former Wildcat assistant has served the past eight seasons as the top assistant and recruiting coordinator under the coach. Julie Goodenough. He brings more than a decade of coaching experience to his first head coaching gig.
“We are very excited to have Coach Lambert join the Osprey family,” said UNF Director of Athletics Nick Morrow. “Erika has a proven track record of success, is known as a tireless recruiter and a rising star in the industry. The program of integrity and the demand for excellence.”
Lambert joined the ACU family in 2015 and has played a key role in the success of ACU women’s basketball since her arrival, helping lead the Wildcats to a record 184- 83 (the Southland and WAC, good for a .726 winning percentage. That includes four seasons of 23 or more wins. ACU has won three championships in that span, including 2015-16 and 2016-17 regular-season titles in the Southland Conference, and the 2018-19 tournament title for earning the program’s first-ever berth in the Division I NCAA Tournament.
“I am honored to be the first women’s basketball coach at the University of North Florida,” said Lambert. “My family and I cannot wait to become a part of Osprey Nation and the Jacksonville community. With the experience of Nick Morrow and the support of President Limayem, it is a great opportunity to join the team in UNF. Through the interview process and after many conversations on campus. The common thread is a genuine love for our student-athletes. I want our athletes at UNF to have a great experience and changes while competing to stay on top of the ASUN and developing competitive activities for life.”
ACU finished with 24 wins in the 2019-20 season, and finished 10th nationally in points per game (80.0), but the season was cut short before the Southland Tournament in due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, ACU has claimed two more spots in the conference tournament, going 14-13 in a wild 2020-21 season, and winning the league championship game over UIW, before going 17-13 in 2021-22, and 9-9 in. first season in the Western Conference. ACU qualified for the WAC tournament in Las Vegas, falling to UTRGV in the second round. The Wildcats went 15-15 this past season and went 9-9 in the WAC before falling to Sam Houston in the first round of the tournament.
“I am proud and excited for Coach Lambert to take over the program at UNF,” Goodenough said. “Her many roles here have positioned her well to run her own organization. Erika has been an invaluable asset to our organization but the entire ACU community. Her constant pursuit of excellence from the Bible example is a constant in our locker room. I will miss working with him and being around his loving family but we wish them the best of luck in this new journey.”
ACU won back-to-back regular-season titles in 2015-16 and 2016-17, but due to the NCAA’s four-year postseason ban on the transition from Division II to Division I Yes, the Wildcats qualified for the WNIT. ACU went to back-to-back WNIT’s, falling to UTEP the same year, but defeated Oklahoma State in Stillwater on March 16, 2017 to claim its first DI postseason win.
Lambert recruited and coached 19 all-team players during his time at ACU, including two league players of the year. Lambert is in full charge of the program’s efforts, coordinating all on- and off-campus engagements, including managing the budget. On the court, Lambert participated in all training and exercises, focusing on the development of the player. He scouted upcoming opponents and helped game plan for each game on the schedule.
In addition to these duties, Lambert oversees the advancement of student athletes, and is the liaison to the executive office at Abilene Christian. He also coordinates alumni relations, community service activities, and special events for the program.
ACU head coach Julie Goodenough and Lambert also worked during the 2011-12 season at Charleston Southern University. That year’s team won 17 games and qualified for its second postseason appearance at the Women’s Basketball Invitational in three years.
Lambert helped coach the Buccaneer shooting guard on a team that ranked fourth in the nation in 3-point field goals made per game. He also coached All-Big South Conference shooting guard Rachelle Coward, who finished her career with a 4.0 grade point average and was named Big South Conference Student Athlete of the Year.
After Goodenough left for Abilene Christian, Lambert stayed on board for one more year at Charleston Southern as an assistant to head coach Fred Applin. Lambert took charge of developing the team’s post players this season and helped former Wildcat assistant coach Lakeitha Alston earn All-Big South honors after averaging 16.6 points per game. this game.
In 2013-14, Lambert joined Ohio Wesleyan as a volunteer assistant coach and helped the Battling Bishops go from eight to 18 wins, and in 2014-15 he contributed to a 21-win season. of Bethel University (Minnesota), which is an at-large invitation to the NCAA DIII Tournament.
As a student athlete at the University of Charleston, Lambert battled through a series of knee injuries to play in 100 games (74 starts) and contribute 700 points, 400 rebounds and a school record 164 points. shots fired. The Mannsville, NY native was a two-year team captain for the Cougars and a four-time selection to the Southern Conference All-Academic Honor Roll. One of his best games came against Kennesaw State in December of 2007, when he scored a game-high 26 points, off a 13-for-16 effort from the field.
Lambert graduated Cum Laude from the University of Charleston Honors College in 2008 with bachelor’s degrees in mass communication and history. He received his Master’s of Public Administration from the University of Charleston in 2010.
Lambert has been an active member of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association since 2008, and is the founder. Easy to learn, an organization dedicated to supporting mothers in college education at all levels. Lambert oversees all operations of Easy to learn, made a major effort to keep women in business. She conducts annual meetings at the Women’s Final Four, records and publishes podcasts, and manages media accounts.
Lambert was selected as a finalist for the 2021 Final Four for female leaders in college sports. She serves on the faculty and staff leadership team at ACU for the African American Women’s Initiative, a role she has served since 2020. She works for an organization that supports the student experience for women. Black on campus, and offers monthly programs to foster privacy. development, academic success, and networking opportunities for students.
He also serves on the coaches’ leadership team for ACU’s Student-Athlete Diversity Council. He organized weekly meetings to facilitate important discussions about racial equality, and he started community service groups at a local nonprofit. CASA General Land.
He was elected by his peers to serve one year on the ACU Staff Senate, a decision-making body representing all employees on campus. He served the 2020-21 season.
Lambert has also served as a teacher/representative for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ student group since 2016. In Nov. 2021, Lambert was named by The Athletic as one of the 22 women’s basketball coaches ready to lead their own program.
The search for Lambert’s replacement at ACU will begin soon.