Alma Mater: NW Missouri State
Graduating Year: 2005
Experience: 2nd Year
Coaching Career
2015- present: Nebraska-Kearney (Head Coach/Quarterbacks Coach)
2010-14: Central Missouri (Offensive Coordinator/Recruiting Coordinator)
2008-10: Southeastern Oklahoma State (Quarterback Coach/Recruiting Coordinator)
2006-08: NW Missouri State (Graduate Assistant/QB's)
Josh Lamberson was named the 17th head football coach in Nebraska-Kearney history on December 14, 2015.
The Nebraska native is the fourth Loper head coach since 1955 with the three previous men each winning 100 games in their tenure.
"I'm extremely honored and excited to help carry on the tradition of Loper football and write the next chapter," Lamberson said. "UNK is a proud program, and Nebraska is a proud football state. We are going to build our program around Nebraska kids and hard-nosed players who are committed to success."
In his first year as a college head coach, he saw eight of his players earn All-MIAA (Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Assoc.) recognition with junior linebacker Tyke Kozeal also being tabbed All-Central Region. Early in the season, Kozeal became the Lopers all-time leader in career tackles.
Lamberson also served as quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator. He coached senior Bronson Marsh, a three-year starter who ended his career among UNK’s all-time leaders in passing (3,998) and rushing yards (1,658) by a QB.
Marsh and two other QB’s completed passes to 15 different teammates with 10 Lopers having at least one rushing attempt.
Off the field, 41 players qualified for the MIAA Academic Honor Roll (have a 3.00 cumulative GPA or better) with Kozeal and senior safety Dillon Loschen tabbed as MIAA Scholar Athletes (over a 3.50 cumulative GPA and named all-conference).
In 2016, Lamberson led the Loper QB’s again with Kevin Bleil (tight ends/T’s) and Joe Holtzclaw (offensive line) serving as co-offensive coordinators.
This past season, Kozeal earned first-team All-American honors (Associated Press and AFCA) and became just the second player in NCAA history to reach 600 career tackles (604).
Kozeal, also tabbed an Academic All-American, led all of the NCAA in tackles with 174. His 16-yard interception return for a score helped UNK beat Central Oklahoma, 47-32, to give Lamberson his first collegiate win.
Offensively, UNK's numbers improved in each category as a very young unit was led by four redshirt freshman quarterbacks. Junior receiver Malcolm Moore earned All-MIAA honors as he had 60 catches for 707 yards and four TD's. On the ground, sophomore back Luke Quinn ran for 713 yards and five TD's while tallying a team-best 968 all-purpose yards.
In the classroom, 24 Loper veterans made the MIAA Academic Honor Roll.
Lamberson, 34, is a native of Wilber and has a career record of 80-30 in nine years as an assistant coach at Central Missouri (39-19), Southeastern Oklahoma State (13-9) and Northwest Missouri State (28-2).
Prior to coming to Kearney, he spent five seasons at UCM, including four as offensive coordinator. He also coached wide receivers and was the recruiting coordinator.
Lamberson worked two seasons at SEOSU as quarterbacks coach and recruiting coordinator from 2008-10. He also was a graduate assistant at Northwest during the 2006-07 seasons, helping lead the Bearcats to a 28-2 record and a spot in two national championship games as the quarterbacks coach.
"Josh brings an incredible passion for the student-athlete experience, a keen understanding of how to coach football and an uncanny ability to create a family atmosphere," said UNK Director of Athletics Dr. Paul Plinske. "His experiences at two highly successful Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association schools were incredibly appealing to me, but his ties to the state of Nebraska put him over the top and make him a perfect fit for UNK."
In addition to coaching seven years in the conference, he was an All-American quarterback at Northwest and played in two Division II national championships.
He finished his career in 2005 as the school's all-time passing leader with 7,365 career yards and was a semifinalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy, given to the top player in Division II.
"This is my first job as a head coach, and I'm absolutely confident that I'm prepared for it," Lamberson said. "I've learned from great coaches and leaders of men in Mel Tjeerdsma and Jim Svoboda. I know what it takes to win football games and how to go about doing it."
Lamberson is recognized as a coach with a strong offensive mind. Using a no-huddle, up-tempo offense, his teams at UCM were regularly among the MIAA's top offenses.
In 2014, the Mules led the MIAA in scoring offense with 35.7 points per game, was second in total offense at 446 yards per game and fourth in passing offense at 224 yards per game. They beat SE Oklahoma, 48-21, in the Live United Texarkana Bowl to finish 8-4.
UCM went 39-19 over a five-year span and made back-to-back playoff appearances in 2010 and 2011, when the Mules advanced to the quarterfinals and finished 11-3.
"Our staff sells a brand of football where kids play together. A family atmosphere is the building block of something special," Lamberson said. "UNK football has rich tradition and fantastic support from the community, campus and former players. We are going to embrace the past, build on what's already in place and work hard to get everybody pointed in the same direction."
Lamberson lives in Kearney with his wife, Mandy, and their children, Kiya and Ace.
