Tre Lamb, the new head coach at Tulsa, is charged with revitalizing the football program after a series of underwhelming seasons. Having successfully turned around two FCS teams, Lamb believes aggressive changes are necessary, including potentially significant player and coaching turnover. He emphasizes the importance of acquiring mid-year transfers to immediately enhance team talent, focusing on fixing critical positions like the offensive line, defensive line, and quarterback. Lamb’s upbeat approach aims for early success, aiming to eradicate a losing mindset among players and leverage the existing recruiting advantages of Tulsa.

By the Numbers
  • Lamb led East Tennessee State to a 7-5 record after a 3-8 season the previous year, with four losses by a combined 19 points.
  • Under his leadership, Gardner-Webb improved from a 2-2 record in the Covid-shortened season to consecutive years of 7-6 and 7-5.
Yes, But

Despite Lamb’s confidence and previous success, turning around a struggling program like Tulsa poses significant challenges, including overcoming a deeply rooted losing culture and ensuring player retention in the competitive transfer portal landscape.

State of Play
  • Lamb plans to meet with players in the transfer portal to convince them to stay, with some players already opting out.
  • His hiring process for assistant coaches is ongoing, with some candidates still involved in playoff games.
What's Next

Looking ahead, Lamb’s immediate objective is to recruit talent effectively and establish a framework for success within the program while cultivating a winning mindset among the players. With a focus on spring practices, he aims to build chemistry and systems that leverage player capabilities.

Bottom Line

Tre Lamb's strategic approach to rebuilding Tulsa football hinges on making decisive changes, enhancing team talent, and fostering a winning culture, aligning expectations toward securing conference championships and bowl appearances in the near future.