Lambert, "Piggy" (Ward L.)
Basketball
b. May 28, 1888, Deadwood, SD
d. Jan. 20, 1958, Lafayette, IN
After playing three sports at Wabash College in Indiana, Lambert did graduate work at the University of Minnesota, then began coaching high school basketball. He became head coach at Purdue University in 1916.
Military service in World War I interrupted his career, but he returned to Purdue in 1919 and remained there through the 1945-46 season. His teams won 371 games and lost only 152, a winning percentage of .710. His 1931-32 team, which won 17 of 18 games, was named national champion by the Helms Athletic Foundation.
Lambert became commissioner of the professional National Basketball League for two years, then returned to Purdue as coach of freshman basketball and football.
A pioneer of the fast break, Lambert coached nine All-Americans, including two future Hall of Fame members, Charles "Stretch" Murphy and John Wooden. He also authored one of the sport's first textbooks, Practical Basketball.
Purdue's baseball field and fieldhouse are both named for Lambert, and an award named for him is presented annually to the basketball letterman with the highest grade index for the previous two semesters.