Gardner-Webb has the youngest college football coach in Division I. He loves that fact.

It’s been more than 18 months since Tre Lamb was named Gardner-Webb’s head football coach and inherited the title of youngest head coach in Division 1 college football.

“No,” Lamb answered when asked if he’s weary of the subject being brought up.

“I want to stay young,” he said.

“I have a young family, I’m doing something I’ve wanted to do, and it’s a special time of my life,” Lamb, now 31, adds. “I won’t want it to go by too fast.”

Lamb conducted an overhaul of Gardner-Webb’s program when he arrived early in 2020.

“It was all so new last year,” he said. “We flipped the roster. We installed a new culture. We’re where I wanted to be.”

Junior running back Narii Gaither, of Rock Hill, said there has been a noticeable change in the program since Lamb arrived.

“There is a lot of new energy,” said Gaither, one of the standouts in the Runnin’ Bulldogs’ four-game spring season who rushed for 349 yards and three touchdowns. “We have developed core values.”

For many fans, this fall will be the first time to see the new-look Gardner-Webb football program. Lamb said fans should notice a few things.

“We will play extremely hard,” he said. “We’ll play with maximum effort. And we’ll do it with a smile on our faces.

“It will be a fun brand of football, with a new logo and new uniforms. We will play hard.”

This fall’s Gardner-Webb team also will have more experience than the unit that went 2-2 in the spring. All 11 starters return on defense, and eight are back on offense.

One key spot to watch will be quarterback. Sophomore Jy Tolen was the backup in the spring and figures to inherit the starting role, with Carlton Aiken graduated. But Tayvon Bowers, a Wake Forest transfer, and freshman Kendall McKoy are also in the mix.

Can’t-miss game

▪ Campbell, Oct. 6

The game against Campbell could be a measuring stick for both teams. Gardner-Webb is picked sixth in the conference, and Campbell is the No. 5 pick. A Gardner-Webb victory over the Camels would indicate that the Runnin’ Bulldogs are on pace to become a league contender.

A successful season is …

Three conference victories and maybe a victory over Western Carolina. Gardner-Webb, like its head coach, is young. Tre Lamb is building the program, but the Runnin’ Bulldogs appear to be a year or so away from becoming a contender. Part of that growth would depend on development by the offense.

Gardner-Webb top players to watch

Gardner-Webb football schedule

This story was originally published August 25, 2021 at 11:00 AM with the headline "Gardner-Webb has the youngest college football coach in Division I. He loves that fact.."