Lambert retires from AD duties: MC legend to continue coaching men's basketball with renewed focus

By Marcus Fitzsimmons
Daily Times Correspondent

There was no retirement rocking chair when Randy Lambert was honored by Maryville College for his 22 years of service as athletic director.

All the wood will appropriately be going into the new Randy Lambert Court.

Lambert isn't going anywhere either.

One of the winningest basketball coaches in Division III, the former MC player will gear up for season No. 29 from the same old office but without the duties of AD for the first time in two decades.

"That was part of my negotiations," cracked Lambert with his ever-present deflecting whit. "I asked for two things -- to get a parking place and keep my big office, and all I could get was to keep my office.

"But I'm looking forward to directing most of my attention to the men's basketball program. It hadn't really hit home yet. I'm still completing this year with administrative responsibilities and staff evaluations and getting us through graduation. Come August, when we begin looking at this coming year, I will be able to have more time for myself and the basketball team."

Time has been something that's grown more precious. Under Lambert, Maryville College has gone from the Old Dominion Athletic Conference to domination of the Great South Athletic Conference with eight President's Cup trophies. The football team has reentered conference play for the first time since before World War II, joining the USA South three years ago.

"The fall is our busiest time of year. Half of the sports are in season and we've got basketball season coming on. It's been seven-day weeks, 80 hours per week right before the season begins, and it was just overwhelming. Many schools our size now have two people doing this job -- one's an AD and one's a basketball coach. I explained it to (University President) Dr. (Gerald) Gibson this way. This isn't a hard job for a 22-year-old man but for a man that's been doing this 22 years, it's getting tough.

"I started as AD at a time when we were independent. Then I led us into two different conference affiliations, which obviously that increased the work load. Not only are you responsible to the NCAA but to conference requirements -- meetings and forms and deadlines -- those types of things, it increased the work load."

Now the man who had a strong hand in making those things happen will be just one of the coaches under his former assistant AD, Kandis Schram. Of course, Lambert hired all those coaches and even brought five of their sports -- men's and women's tennis, men's and women's cross country and women's soccer -- to the varsity sport level at MC.

"I look forward to working beside them," said Lambert. "Just being the "old" coach, the more experienced one, there may be times they may come to me and I might be able to give proper advice.

"Kandie can direct this program in a very positive way. We're going to keep moving forward. She'll have her own touch and provide some new initiative as AD.

"She's been very involved with the NCAA and in these conference discussions as my assistant AD. She's been kept abreast of our directions. I don't expect us to miss a beat with her as our new leader."