Paul Lambert

Paul Lambert (1934-1978)

Teams coached: Pittsburg State Gorillas, Hardin-Simmons Cowboys, Southern Illinois Salukis
Pittsburg State record^: 44-29 (.603)
Hardin-Simmons record: 57-47 (.548)
Southern Illinois record: 126-84 (.600)
Overall record^: 227-160 (.587)

Career Accomplishments:

• NCAA National Championships:  0
• NCAA Tournament Appearances:  1  (1977)
• NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen:  1  (1977)
• NCAA Tournament Final Four:  0
• NIT Championships:  0
• NIT Appearances:  1  (1975)
• Missouri Valley Regular Season Champion:  1  (1977)
• CIAC (NAIA) Regular Season Champion:  2  (1965, 1966)
• Missouri Valley Tournament Champion:  1  (1977)
• NAIA Tournament Appearances:  1  (1966)

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

1970-1978	Southern Illinois
1966-1970	Hardin-Simmons
1963-1966	Pittsburg State
1960-1963	Drake (asst)

Paul Lambert Facts

• Paul M. Lambert Jr.
• Born August 15, 1934
• Died June 6, 1978
• Hometown: Kansas City, Missouri
• Alma Mater: William Jewell College (BA, 1956)
• The KC-native played basketball for the William Jewell Cardinals in Liberty, Missouri
• First coaching gigs were a three-year stint at Moberly HS (MO) and one year at Boone HS (IA)
• Joined Maury John‘s staff at Drake in 1960, serving as an assistant coach with the Bulldogs for three seasons
• Hired in 1963 to be the head coach at NAIA Pittsburg State in Pittsburg, Kansas
  • Went 44-29 in three seasons there, winning two CIAC titles and going to the NAIA Tournament in 1966
• Left for (then-Division I Independent) Hardin-Simmons in 1963, coaching the Cowboys for four seasons
  • Was 57-47 overall, highlighted by 17-9 records in both his first and last season there
• Became the head coach at Southern Illinois in 1970, leading the Salukis for the next eight seasons
  • Won the MVC title and (first-ever) MVC Tournament in 1977, reaching the Sweet Sixteen in that year’s NCAAs
  • Compiled a 126-84 record during his tenure, finishing above .500 in six of eight seasons
• In June 1978, Lambert tragically died in a motel fire in Columbus, Georgia; he was just 43 years old
  • Earlier that year, Lambert had accepted the position of head basketball coach at Auburn

Paul Lambert Coaching Tree

• coming soon

 

^ overall record includes head coaching positions at both the NCAA Division I and NAIA levels; note that Hardin-Simmons was a Division I program during Lambert’s tenure