Overton hires Ron Lambert as next football coach

Veteran high school football coach Ron Lambert has returned to the head coaching ranks after being hired at John Overton.

This is Lambert's fourth coaching stop in the Nashville area with previous head coaching positions at Rossview, Whites Creek and RePublic. He takes over an Overton program that was guided by Arcentae Broome for the past three seasons. Broome was hired as Antioch’s football coach Feb. 26.

Broome went 15-18 at Overton and led the Bobcats to the first round of the TSSAA Class 6A playoffs in 2021 and 2022. They finished 2-8 last fall. 

Lambert spent one season (2017) with Whites Creek in which the Cobras finished 1-9. He was the coach at RePublic for one season in 2018. He led the second-year program to a 5-6 record that year, after a winless first season for Trail Blazers in 2017. RePublic canceled its football program in 2020 and returned to the field in 2022. Lambert's five wins in 2018 are the only wins in the program's history to date.

Lambert's most successful stint as a head coach was at Rossview. He led the Hawks to a 36-38 record with three playoff appearances in his seven seasons in Clarksville (2010-2016). In his last five seasons, Rossview did not have a losing regular season record. In 2013, Rossview finished 9-2, losing to Independence in the first round of the 6A playoffs. His 2014 Hawks knocked out Memphis Central in the playoffs. It was Rossview's first ever playoff win as the Hawks finished that season 8-4.

He is also previously an assistant at Davidson Academy, where he served as the team's defensive coordinator.

"Coach Lambert will bring a wealth of experience and success to the football program," John Overton executive principal Kelby Garner said in a release. “With his track record of postseason appearances and state championship wins, it is evident that he knows how to lead our Bobcats to victory! Additionally, his ability to develop players athletically and personally is crucial for the growth of our program. With Coach Lambert at the helm, our football team is poised for success both on and off the field."

Lambert is a former defensive back at Wake Forest (1990-1992) and graduate assistant with the Demon Deacons. He was an assistant coach at Southern Illinois and Eastern Illinois as well as a defensive coordinator at Illinois State and Tennessee State.

Reach sports writer George Robinson at georgerobinson@theleafchronicle.com and on the X platform (formerly Twitter) @Cville_Sports.