Salisbury University men’s basketball announced the death of Ward Lambert, the program’s all-time winningest coach, on Aug. 25. Lambert died Aug. 18 at age 88 after serving as the Sea Gulls’ head coach for 30 seasons.
Lambert compiled a 432-360 career record from 1970-2000 and led Salisbury to five NCAA Tournament appearances and two trips to the national quarterfinals. He was inducted into the Salisbury Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2001.
Ward Lambert Built Salisbury’s Division III Program
Lambert joined Salisbury State College ahead of the 1970-71 season as the men’s basketball head coach and a physical education teacher. He previously coached at Stephen Decatur High School for five years and led its basketball program to a state championship in 1970.
Salisbury made its NCAA Tournament debut during the 1984-85 season. The Sea Gulls’ 1991-92 team finished 28-2 and advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight, while Lambert earned Atlantic District Coach of the Year honors.
Lambert later won Capital Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors in 1995-96 after leading Salisbury State to its first CAC championship. The program reached the NCAA Tournament again in 1996-97 and advanced to the Elite Eight for the second time.
During Lambert’s tenure, Salisbury State set a national scoring record by averaging 104.5 points per game in 1990 and a Division III record with 861 assists in 1991, according to the university. The Sea Gulls also began a streak in 1986 that reached 500 consecutive games with at least one 3-point field goal made.
Players and Coaches Remember Ward Lambert
Lambert developed seven American Basketball Coaches Association All-Americans, including Salisbury Athletics Hall of Famer Andre Foreman. Foreman earned back-to-back ABCA All-America First Team selections, won National Player of the Year in 1992 and finished with 2,940 career points and 1,140 field goals, according to the university.
“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 Salisbury University men’s basketball 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.”
Former Lambert player Bill Lewit described him as a basketball mind, leader and mentor. Lewit’s coaching career included positions at multiple Division I institutions and an NJCAA national championship at Cecil College in 2006.
“Coach Lambert was a brilliant basketball mind, leader, and mentor to me and so many others who played for him,” said Lewit. “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.”
Lambert’s Life After Salisbury
Lambert graduated from the University of Virginia in 1962 and earned a Master’s in Education at the University of Maryland in 1965. After stepping down following the 1999-2000 season, he volunteered as a track and field coach at Wicomico High School.
Lambert and his wife, Sally, moved closer to family in Bel Air, Maryland, in 2018. Irwin “Stosh” Schtierman, a longtime Wicomico High School athletic director who played for Lambert, remembered him as a mentor and adviser.
“Coach Lambert was more than a coach,” said Schtierman. “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.
MSB Analysis
Ward Lambert’s 432 victories, five NCAA Tournament appearances and two trips to the national quarterfinals established his place in Salisbury University men’s basketball history. His record and the program’s accomplishments during his 30-season tenure remain central to the university’s account of his legacy.
Source: Original report
