PROVO, Utah, Dec. 26, 2015 (Gephardt Daily) — Another Utah university is looking for a head football coach after SUU’s Ed Lamb announced Saturday he has accepted a new job 207 miles to the north.
Lamb will leave Southern Utah University to join the staff at Brigham Young University, where he will become assistant head coach to Kalani Sitake, who himself signed with BYU a week earlier.
“Welcome home Ed Lamb, our new assistant head coach!! #BYUFOOTBALL #GoCougs,” read the post on the BYU Football Facebook page.
Sitake accepted the job after the resignation of Bronco Mendenhall, who is leaving to head the University of Virginia football program. Sitake, who formerly coached at the University of Oregon, has been filling key staff positions in the BYU football program over the past week.
Lamb played defensive end for the BYU Cougars in 1995 and 1996. He coached BYU’s linebackers in 2001 as a graduate assistant. Lamb served as head coach at Southern Utah University’s head coach for eight seasons. This year, he led SUU’s Thunderbirds to the Big Sky Championship.
In a statement from SUU, Lamb shared his thoughts on his decision.
“I have been so fortunate to be the Head Football coach at Southern Utah University,” Lamb said. “The past eight years have enriched my life in countless ways.
“I would like to thank everyone associated with SUU football for the exceptional support and encouragement. My family and I will sorely miss being a part of the Cedar City community”.
In the same news release, SUU director of athletics Jason Butikofer congratulated Lamb in the same statement.
“On behalf of Southern Utah University, I would like to thank coach Lamb for his eight years of leadership,” Butikofer said. “Coach Lamb has taken this program to unprecedented heights, culminating with our first ever Big Sky Championship this fall. He has meant a great deal to Southern Utah University and the Cedar City community.
“We truly appreciate his efforts in raising the stature of the Southern Utah Athletic Department. With the foundation that coach Lamb built, there will be great interest in this leadership role and I am confident that we will find a head coach that will continue to elevate our football program to new heights”.
SUU defensive coordinator Demario Warren will assume duties as interim head coach, Butikofer said. A nationwide search for the next head coach will begin immediately.
