Curt Lamb has been named Cornell College’s new Wellness Center Coordinator and sports performance coach, as announced by interim director of athletics Jeff Meeker.
Lamb was head strength and conditioning coach and associate athletic director for sports performance at Limestone University, one of the largest athletic departments in NCAA Division II with more than 800 student-athletes competing in 26 sports.
Lamb is the first strength and conditioning coach in Limestone’s history, starting the program in 2005. He’s been directly responsible for all strength and conditioning processes during his stay in Gaffney, S.C.
“We believe Curt is an outstanding addition to our team, and we can’t wait to have him on campus,” Meeker said. “The combination of his experience and commitment to student-athlete success makes him a perfect fit for Cornell Athletics. He is the right person to help us open this wonderful new facility.”
Lamb begins his new role on the Hilltop Sept. 1. Cornell’s 20 NCAA Division III athletic teams will train inside the spacious $20.5 million Small Athletic and Wellness Center, which opened Aug. 9.
“Cornell’s facilities sell themselves. I was blown away by my tour,” Lamb said. “My goal is to build a strength and conditioning program that the campus will be proud of and that everyone on campus will be welcomed and excited to use daily. The Small Athletic and Wellness Center will be a huge recruiting tool for the campus. I’m excited to be part of the Cornell community.”
While at Limestone, Lamb trained nine NCAA national champions and oversaw the training for teams that combined for 58 NCAA Tournament appearances. Under Lamb’s leadership, Limestone crowned 71 Conference Carolinas team champions and had 45 student-athletes move on to play professionally.
Limestone’s 2016 Coach of the Year, Lamb played a key role in the Saints claiming three straight Conference Carolinas Joby Hawn All-Sport Cups. Limestone won five total All-Sport championships and had eight Top 50 finishes in the Learfield Directors Cup during Lamb’s 17 years.
Lamb, a Des Moines native, returns to his Iowa roots where he has many family ties to the state. His wife Renae is from Mount Pleasant. Lamb earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise and sport sciences from Iowa State University in 1999.
“Cornell has so much to offer and many resources to work with,” Lamb said. “I see a lot of opportunity for impact and growth with this position. I want to thank coach Jeff Meeker and Vice President Wendy Beckemeyer for this opportunity.”
At Limestone, Lamb supervised the largest strength and conditioning program in the South Atlantic Conference with two full-time assistant coaches. In addition to his responsibilities in athletics, Lamb was the first program director of Limestone’s Strength and Conditioning academic curriculum, a position he held until 2014.
Lamb serves on the executive committee for the Lacrosse Special Interest Group through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). He has been the strength and conditioning consultant and coach for the New Zealand Men’s National Lacrosse Team since 2010. The team was ranked No. 21 in the world following the 2018 World Championships.
From 2015-19, Lamb was strength and conditioning coach for the Charlotte Hounds of Major League Lacrosse. Prior to his arrival at Limestone, Lamb held roles as Assistant Sports Performance Director at Velocity Sports Performance in Cedar Rapids (2004-05) and Performance Enhancement Specialist with Quad City Sport Performance in Moline, Ill. (2002-04). He was Strength and Conditioning Coach for minor league baseball affiliates of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2001) and Milwaukee Brewers (2002).
Lamb interned as a resident Strength and Conditioning Coach at the ARCO Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif., in 1999. He received his master’s degree in physical education/exercise and sport sciences from Central Missouri State University in 2001.
Lamb is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA and is a Level I Club Coach through the United States Weightlifting Association (USWA). He holds First Aid, CPR and AED certification through the American Red Cross.
Lamb and his wife Renae have two sons, Alex and Erik, and a daughter, Tori.