SALISBURY, Md. – Salisbury University
mourns the loss of its all-time winningest men's basketball coach,
Ward Lambert, who died on Aug. 18 at the age of 88.
A 2001 Salisbury Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, Lambert served as the Sea Gulls' head coach for 30 seasons from 1970-2000, amassing 432 career wins and leading the maroon and gold to five NCAA Tournament appearances and two trips to the national quarterfinals. Along the way, Lambert developed seven American Basketball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-Americans, including Division III's all-time leading scorer and fellow SU Hall-of-Famer
Andre Foreman.
"Coach Lambert is Sea Gull basketball; he played a key role in what this program is all about and the success it has achieved," said current SU head coach
Maurice Williams. "When I arrived here in 2019, I learned right away about the impact he made on campus and how much his players loved him. He will truly be missed, and I am grateful for the time I was able to spend with him. His name and memory will continue to live on in this program forever."
A Wilmington, Del. native, Lambert graduated from the University of Virginia in 1962 and earned his Master's in Education at the University of Maryland in 1965. He began his head coaching career at nearby Stephen Decatur High School, leading the Seahawk basketball, cross country, and track & field programs for five years, culminating with a state basketball championship in 1970.
Lambert was hired to lead the men's basketball program and teach physical education at Salisbury State College ahead of the 1970-71 season, helping to
usher in the program's Division III era later in the decade. Following pockets of success in the '70s and early '80s, the Sea Gulls first made waves on the national stage in 1984-85 by making their NCAA Tournament debut.
The late '80s and early '90s saw Lambert's Salisbury State University teams score points at a frenetic pace and become one of small college basketball's most exciting outfits. In 1986 the Sea Gulls began a streak that would top out at 500 consecutive games with at least one three-point field goal made, a new Division III record by its end in 2006. In 1990, SSU set a new national scoring record with a staggering 104.5 points per game; the next year it was another division record with 861 assists.
"Coach Lambert was a brilliant basketball mind, leader, and mentor to me and so many others who played for him," said
Bill Lewit, whose own three-decade coaching career has seen him hold positions at multiple Division I institutions and win an NJCAA national championship at Cecil College in 2006. "He was way ahead of contemporary basketball in the way he used analytics and stressed efficiency as he strategically advocated for his teams to shoot three-pointers, layups, and free throws."
After returning to the NCAA Tournament in 1990-91, Lambert's Sea Gulls reached their apex in 1991-92, finishing a program-best 28-2 and advancing to the NCAA Elite Eight while delivering their boss Atlantic District Coach of the Year laurels. Foreman established himself as a true superstar in these years, making back-to-back ABCA All-America First Teams and winning National Player of the Year in 1992; his 2,940 career points and 1,140 field goals remain the most in Division III history.
In 1995-96, Lambert was named Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) Coach of the Year after guiding Salisbury State to its first-ever CAC championship and another NCAA Tournament berth. The Sea Gulls made it back-to-back national brackets in 1996-97 and reached the Elite Eight for the second time.
Lambert stepped down from the head coaching position after the 1999-2000 campaign with a career record of 432-360, good for the 24th-most wins in Division III history at the time of his retirement. He was inducted into the Salisbury Athletic Hall of Fame shortly after as part of the Class of 2001.
Following his retirement from SU, Lambert volunteered as a track & field coach at Wicomico High School and enjoyed extensive world travel with his wife Sally, who passed in 2019. The Lamberts remained staples around Salisbury until moving closer to family in Bel Air, Md., in 2018.
"Coach Lambert was more than a coach," said longtime Wi Hi athletic director
Irwin "Stosh" Schtierman, who played for Lambert and formerly served as a Sea Gull women's basketball assistant coach. "He was a mentor and advisor. I am going to miss our phone conversations. No matter what was going on, he wanted to know about my family. He is going to be missed by so many."
"His main focus was preparing us for life, and he taught us lessons we could carry with us after we left the court," said Lewit. "He demanded effort and taught execution, always reminding us we are all dealt a hand in life, but what we do with that hand is going to determine our success. I appreciated how much he cared for us, and I relied on his sagacity my entire career."
A
celebration of life for Edward William "Ward" Lambert, Jr. will be held at Bel Air United Methodist Church on Saturday, Sept. 12, at 1 p.m.
Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with affiliate membership in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (football, men's & women's swimming), Coastal Lacrosse Conference (men's lacrosse), State University of New York Athletic Conference (field hockey), and Colonial Women's Golf Conference (women's golf). With over 500 student-athletes in 23 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the nation's most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, featuring dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on and off the field. The Sea Gulls have won a combined 23 team national championships, 26 individual national championships, and 211 conference championships, and have produced 54 Academic All-Americans.
To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more about Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit SUSeaGulls.com or follow on social media @SUSeaGulls.
