Connor Lambert Inks Contract Extension With Washington Baseball
August 25, 2026 | Baseball
SEATTLE – Connor Lambert, the Diamond Dawgs' pitching coach, has signed an extension with the University of Washington.
"Over the last decade there are few pitching coaches in the country who have developed pitchers and achieved the statistical success in their pitching staffs at the level Coach Lambert has been able to produce," said head coach Eddie Smith. "In just two seasons he has made a tremendous impact as the head coach of the Husky pitchers, and we are excited to have him working with our pitchers for years to come!"
Lambert has been instrumental in the Huskies' pitching development during Eddie Smith's tenure on Montlake. In his two seasons with Washington, Lambert has produced four All-Big Ten pitchers, including MLB draft pick Max Banks in 2025.
"I'm incredibly grateful to continue being a part of Coach Smith's program at Washington," said Lambert. "Washington has always been home for me and my family, which makes the opportunity to represent this university and this program especially meaningful. I believe deeply in what Coach Smith is building here, and I'm excited to continue investing in our players and helping Husky Baseball compete at the highest level."
Lambert has built a reputation for dominant starting pitching over his career. In addition to Banks, Lambert developed Jackson Thomas, Hayden Lewis, Tommy Brandenburg, and Noah Kenney who combined to throw over 250 innings a season ago.
Lambert has also developed impactful relievers while at Washington. He's helped the likes of Isaac Yeager, Gunnar Nichols, and Bryce Johnson develop into assets out of the bullpen, with the trio combining for 12 of the Huskies' 22 saves over the last two years.
Including Johnson, the Diamond Dawgs return several talented arms in 2027. Washington will welcome back Justin Tims from injury in addition to Liam Lierman, Tyler Walker, and Cooper McBride.
Lambert and the Huskies will look to continue a successful streak in the Big Ten. The team has made appearances in the conference tournament in both of its first years in the league.
In 2026, the Huskies won two Big Ten Tournament games, knocking off Ohio State and Michigan to advance to the quarterfinal round.
Prior to arriving on Montlake, Lambert spent seven seasons at the University of Portland as the pitching coach. The program began a great improvement upon his arrival in 2017 going from decades of mediocrity to rising to one of the top teams in the West Coast Conference.
A former pitcher at Washington State (2007-10), Lambert made 60 appearances with seven starts, going 11-3 during his career on the mound. As a senior team captain, he went 5-1 with two saves and a 3.53 ERA. He earned Pac-10 Player of the Week honors as a freshman in 2007 after striking out 10 in a win over Air Force, which was his first collegiate start.
For news, scores, highlights and more, download the Go Huskies app on your mobile device. Follow @UW_Baseball on Instagram, X, Threads, and Facebook and subscribe to UW Athletics on YouTube for the latest on the Dawgs.
"Over the last decade there are few pitching coaches in the country who have developed pitchers and achieved the statistical success in their pitching staffs at the level Coach Lambert has been able to produce," said head coach Eddie Smith. "In just two seasons he has made a tremendous impact as the head coach of the Husky pitchers, and we are excited to have him working with our pitchers for years to come!"
Lambert has been instrumental in the Huskies' pitching development during Eddie Smith's tenure on Montlake. In his two seasons with Washington, Lambert has produced four All-Big Ten pitchers, including MLB draft pick Max Banks in 2025.
"I'm incredibly grateful to continue being a part of Coach Smith's program at Washington," said Lambert. "Washington has always been home for me and my family, which makes the opportunity to represent this university and this program especially meaningful. I believe deeply in what Coach Smith is building here, and I'm excited to continue investing in our players and helping Husky Baseball compete at the highest level."
Lambert has built a reputation for dominant starting pitching over his career. In addition to Banks, Lambert developed Jackson Thomas, Hayden Lewis, Tommy Brandenburg, and Noah Kenney who combined to throw over 250 innings a season ago.
Lambert has also developed impactful relievers while at Washington. He's helped the likes of Isaac Yeager, Gunnar Nichols, and Bryce Johnson develop into assets out of the bullpen, with the trio combining for 12 of the Huskies' 22 saves over the last two years.
Including Johnson, the Diamond Dawgs return several talented arms in 2027. Washington will welcome back Justin Tims from injury in addition to Liam Lierman, Tyler Walker, and Cooper McBride.
Lambert and the Huskies will look to continue a successful streak in the Big Ten. The team has made appearances in the conference tournament in both of its first years in the league.
In 2026, the Huskies won two Big Ten Tournament games, knocking off Ohio State and Michigan to advance to the quarterfinal round.
Prior to arriving on Montlake, Lambert spent seven seasons at the University of Portland as the pitching coach. The program began a great improvement upon his arrival in 2017 going from decades of mediocrity to rising to one of the top teams in the West Coast Conference.
A former pitcher at Washington State (2007-10), Lambert made 60 appearances with seven starts, going 11-3 during his career on the mound. As a senior team captain, he went 5-1 with two saves and a 3.53 ERA. He earned Pac-10 Player of the Week honors as a freshman in 2007 after striking out 10 in a win over Air Force, which was his first collegiate start.
For news, scores, highlights and more, download the Go Huskies app on your mobile device. Follow @UW_Baseball on Instagram, X, Threads, and Facebook and subscribe to UW Athletics on YouTube for the latest on the Dawgs.
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