Bowling Green State University Athletics
Loeffler Names Sammy Lawanson Outside Linebackers Coach
March 14, 2022 | Football
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Bowling Green head football coach Scot Loeffler announced today (March. 14) the hiring of Sammy Lawanson as the outside linebackers coach. He comes to BGSU after spending two seasons at Northern Arizona. Lawanson replaces Cato June on staff who left in February for the Indianapolis Colts where he is now an assistant linebackers coach.
"Sammy is a seasoned veteran coach with 23 years of experience at the collegiate, professional and high school levels," said Loeffler. "He is a former college teammate with defensive coordinator Eric Lewis at San Diego State and brings familiarity to the defensive team room under Coach Lewis' direction. He has cultivated results at each of his stops and we won't miss a beat as Sammy provides an immediate impact on our outside backers. We are excited to welcome Sammy and his family to Bowling Green State University."
Lawanson joins a defensive unit led by defensive coordinator Eric Lewis. Lawanson and Lewis were college teammates at San Diego State during the 1995 and 1996 seasons. Lawanson comes to Bowling Green with 23 years of coaching experience at the FBS, FCS, professional and high school levels. He spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons at NAU as the outside linebackers and nickelback coach most recently.
"I am very excited to be joining Bowling Green," said Lawanson. "I think Coach Loeffler and the coaching staff are on the cusp of doing something great here. Bowling Green has a rich football tradition, and I'm here to do my part and help us win a MAC championship."
Under Lawanson at NAU, Anthony Sweeney earned second-team All-Big Sky honors after splitting time between nickelback and safety in NAU's five-game spring schedule during his first season with the Lumberjacks in 2020.
Lawanson arrived in Flagstaff with more than 20 years of coaching experience, as well as an extended run in the Big Sky Conference. From 2014 to 2018, Lawanson held two different positions at Sacramento State, first as the program's running backs coach for two seasons before being promoted to defensive coordinator.
Before joining NAU, Lawanson spent the spring of 2020 coaching outside linebackers for the DC Defenders of the XFL after spending the previous fall as a defensive quality control coach at Fresno State.
During his three-year tenure as the defensive coordinator for Sacramento State, Lawanson also coached the team's linebackers and safeties. Sacramento State led the FCS with 43 sacks in the 2017 season. Additionally, the Hornets ranked third in the nation in defensive touchdowns (5), fourth in third-down defense (26 percent) and fourth in tackles for loss (93). The program also led the Big Sky with 23 takeaways during the 2017 season. Sacramento State's all-time sacks leader George Obinna earned 14 of his school-record 33.5 sacks during his two full seasons playing in Lawanson's defense, while Ben Sorenson recorded 14.5 sacks in his two seasons under Lawanson as well. Sorenson went on to earn third-team All-America honors from the Associated Press after finishing the 2017 season with 12.5 tackles-for-loss and 10 sacks in 10 games.
Before landing in Sacramento, Lawanson spent two years at Arizona State and held the title of defensive quality control coach in 2012 when he worked with the team's safeties and special teams and was the manager of player development in 2013 when he assisted with tight ends and fullbacks.
From May of 2004 through February of 2012, Lawanson was a defensive coordinator for three high schools in Texas. He was the co-defensive coordinator at Hillcrest in Dallas from 2004-05. He then took the reins of the defense at Haltom High School for the 2006 season before moving to John Horn High School in Mesquite (2007-2011). During the 2010 season, he helped guide the team to a berth in the quarterfinals of the state 5A playoffs and a final ranking on 20th in the state.
Lawanson spent two seasons at Tulsa and two seasons at Cal Poly before coaching at the high school ranks. He coached running backs at Cal Poly and spent one year with linebackers and one with the secondary while at Tulsa.
Lawanson was a two-year starter at outside linebacker at San Diego State in 1995 and 1996. He was an honorable mention All-WAC selection following his junior season. Before attending SDSU, he played for two years at Fresno City College.
After finishing his eligibility, Lawanson spent parts of two seasons on his alma mater's staff, helping coach defensive backs and special teams. He graduated from SDSU in 1998.
He and his wife, Beth, are the parents of Treyger, Sam and Arianna. His wife was a Chicago Bulls cheerleader during back-to-back NBA championships in the mid-1990s.
"Sammy is a seasoned veteran coach with 23 years of experience at the collegiate, professional and high school levels," said Loeffler. "He is a former college teammate with defensive coordinator Eric Lewis at San Diego State and brings familiarity to the defensive team room under Coach Lewis' direction. He has cultivated results at each of his stops and we won't miss a beat as Sammy provides an immediate impact on our outside backers. We are excited to welcome Sammy and his family to Bowling Green State University."
Lawanson joins a defensive unit led by defensive coordinator Eric Lewis. Lawanson and Lewis were college teammates at San Diego State during the 1995 and 1996 seasons. Lawanson comes to Bowling Green with 23 years of coaching experience at the FBS, FCS, professional and high school levels. He spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons at NAU as the outside linebackers and nickelback coach most recently.
"I am very excited to be joining Bowling Green," said Lawanson. "I think Coach Loeffler and the coaching staff are on the cusp of doing something great here. Bowling Green has a rich football tradition, and I'm here to do my part and help us win a MAC championship."
Under Lawanson at NAU, Anthony Sweeney earned second-team All-Big Sky honors after splitting time between nickelback and safety in NAU's five-game spring schedule during his first season with the Lumberjacks in 2020.
Lawanson arrived in Flagstaff with more than 20 years of coaching experience, as well as an extended run in the Big Sky Conference. From 2014 to 2018, Lawanson held two different positions at Sacramento State, first as the program's running backs coach for two seasons before being promoted to defensive coordinator.
Before joining NAU, Lawanson spent the spring of 2020 coaching outside linebackers for the DC Defenders of the XFL after spending the previous fall as a defensive quality control coach at Fresno State.
During his three-year tenure as the defensive coordinator for Sacramento State, Lawanson also coached the team's linebackers and safeties. Sacramento State led the FCS with 43 sacks in the 2017 season. Additionally, the Hornets ranked third in the nation in defensive touchdowns (5), fourth in third-down defense (26 percent) and fourth in tackles for loss (93). The program also led the Big Sky with 23 takeaways during the 2017 season. Sacramento State's all-time sacks leader George Obinna earned 14 of his school-record 33.5 sacks during his two full seasons playing in Lawanson's defense, while Ben Sorenson recorded 14.5 sacks in his two seasons under Lawanson as well. Sorenson went on to earn third-team All-America honors from the Associated Press after finishing the 2017 season with 12.5 tackles-for-loss and 10 sacks in 10 games.
Before landing in Sacramento, Lawanson spent two years at Arizona State and held the title of defensive quality control coach in 2012 when he worked with the team's safeties and special teams and was the manager of player development in 2013 when he assisted with tight ends and fullbacks.
From May of 2004 through February of 2012, Lawanson was a defensive coordinator for three high schools in Texas. He was the co-defensive coordinator at Hillcrest in Dallas from 2004-05. He then took the reins of the defense at Haltom High School for the 2006 season before moving to John Horn High School in Mesquite (2007-2011). During the 2010 season, he helped guide the team to a berth in the quarterfinals of the state 5A playoffs and a final ranking on 20th in the state.
Lawanson spent two seasons at Tulsa and two seasons at Cal Poly before coaching at the high school ranks. He coached running backs at Cal Poly and spent one year with linebackers and one with the secondary while at Tulsa.
Lawanson was a two-year starter at outside linebacker at San Diego State in 1995 and 1996. He was an honorable mention All-WAC selection following his junior season. Before attending SDSU, he played for two years at Fresno City College.
After finishing his eligibility, Lawanson spent parts of two seasons on his alma mater's staff, helping coach defensive backs and special teams. He graduated from SDSU in 1998.
He and his wife, Beth, are the parents of Treyger, Sam and Arianna. His wife was a Chicago Bulls cheerleader during back-to-back NBA championships in the mid-1990s.
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