LA Tech announces Gamble as linebackers coach

RUSTON, La. – Louisiana Tech head football coach Skip Holtz has announced the newest addition to the coaching staff after welcoming Brian Gamble as the Bulldogs’ new linebackers coach, the program officially announced on Wednesday.

Gamble comes to Louisiana Tech after spending the last 10 seasons as a member of the coaching staff at Incarnate Word. Gamble joined the UIW staff in August of 2008 as the defensive line coach and was later promoted to defensive coordinator for the Cardinals in 2012.

At Louisiana Tech, Gamble will take over the linebacker coaching duties as part of a defense that helped lead the Bulldogs to four straight bowl championships and ranked seventh in the nation last season in interceptions.

A graduate of Texas A&M, Gamble was a four-year letterwinner as a linebacker for the Aggies from 1999-2002 before serving as the linebackers coach at Kilgore College in 2004. He helped guide Kilgore to a 10-2 record and a No. 5 national ranking. Following his one season at Kilgore, Gamble served as a graduate assistant at the University of Houston from 2005-07. He was part of a Houston team that captured the Conference USA Championship in 2006 finishing 10-4 overall.

In his first year at Incarnate Word, Gamble’s defensive linemen played a big part in the team’s 5-5 record.  The Cardinals finished 16th in the nation in tackles for loss per game and were 33rd in sacks per game.

When Gamble took over the defensive coordinator duties at UIW in 2012, his first change was to make the Cardinals a 3-4 defensive front.  While there were some growing pains, the defense did not allow any opponent to reach 500 yards of offense in a game, a first for the program in 2012. In games against non-DI opponents, they allowed less than 150 yards rushing per game against some top flight offenses. In addition, they finished fourth in the LSC in passing yards allowed per game (216.0). Senior cornerback Devan Avery earned second team all-region honors and was a legitimate shutdown corner.

In his second season in charge of the defense, Gamble’s squad took a major step forward. They recorded back-to-back shutouts against Texas College and Langston, the first two in school history, and they held four opponents to less than 10 points. They allowed 147.5 rushing yards per game and under 400 yards of offense per game for a second straight year. He had four players earn College Sports Madness All-Independent Second or Third Team honors in 2013.

Gamble’s UIW defense finished the 2015 season ranked first in yards allowed per game among Division I programs in Texas. He directed a defense that finished fourth in the Southland Conference in points allowed and third in yards allowed. All-America linebacker Myke Tavarres was a superstar for the team recording 110 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks. The team recorded 62 tackles for loss and 16 sacks while forcing 23 turnovers. They held four opponents under 300 yards of offense and only allowed 33 points in the final three games.

In 2015, the UIW defense finished 18th in the nation in fourth down conversion percentage, 21st in interceptions, 27th in total first downs allowed, 37th in passing yards allowed per game and 39th in total yards allowed per game.

Gamble finished his playing career with 47 career starts, including 46 consecutive for the Aggies. He was a four-year starter who accumulated 341 total tackles and finished his senior season with 82 total stops, which was second-best on the squad. He began his career in 1999, earning the Big 12 Freshman-of-the-Year and Second Team Freshman All American when he racked up 60 tackles, including 10 for losses and two sacks, while starting 10 games. He followed up his debut with a solid sophomore campaign, leading the team in tackles with 110 while starting all 12 games at inside linebacker. At the conclusion of the season Gamble was named Honorable Mention, All-Big 12.

In 2001, Gamble received Third Team Pre-Season All-America honors going into his junior campaign.  In 2002, he was voted defensive team captain by his Aggie teammates and was also a member of the Butkus Award watch list that same year.

A 2002 graduate of Texas A&M with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural development, Gamble was a highly-decorated Aggie standout, who lettered four years for former Aggie coach R.C. Slocum.

A native of Alto, Texas, Gamble and his wife, Stephanie, have one son, Bossley, and a daughter, Madelyn.