Sammy Lawanson - Football Coach - Bowling Green State University Athletics

Liberty

Sep 13 (Sat)

5 p.m.

Sammy Lawanson

Title:
Co-Defensive Coordinator (Outside Linebackers)
Email:
falconrecruit@bgsu.edu
Phone:
419-372-7083

Coach Lawanson
Hometown	Fresno, Calif.
College	San Diego State (1998)
Family	Wife, Beth, children Treyger, Sam and Arianna
Coaching History
1999-00	Cal Poly, Running Backs
2001-02	Tulsa, Linebackers
2003	Tulsa, Secondary
2004-05	Hillcrest HS, Co-Defensive Coordinator
2006	Haltom HS, Defensive Coordinator
2007-11	John Horn HS, Defensive Coordinator
2012	Arizona State, Defensive Quality Control
2013	Arizona State, Manager of Player Development
2014-15	Sacramento State, Running Backs
2016-18	Sacramento State, Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers/Safeties
2019	Fresno State, Defensive Quality Control
2020	DC Defenders (XFL), Outside Linebackers
2020-21	Northern Arizona, Outside Linebackers/Nickelbacks
2022	Bowling Green, Outside Linebackers
2023-24	Bowling Green, Co-Defensive Coordinator/Outside Linebackers

Sammy Lawanson was named the outside linebackers coach in March of 2022. He joined Scot Loeffler's staff after spending two seasons at Northern Arizona as the outside linebackers and nickelback coach. Loeffler elevated Lawanson to co-defensive coordinator in February 2023. He shares duties with Steve Morrison.

During Lawanson's first season as co-defensive coordinators with Morrison in 2023, BGSU had a stellar season. The Falcons led the nation in takeaways (28), and finished No. 4 in the nation with 17 interceptions, No. 7 with 11 fumbles recovered, No. 12 in passing yards allowed (179.8) and No. 31 in the nation with 33 sacks. The Falcons also were ranked No. 25 nationally in total defense (326.1) and had the nation's sixth-best improvement on defense in the nation at 93.5 yards per game compared to 2022. As the outside linebackers coach Lawanson oversaw third-team All-MAC linebacker Cashius Howell's monster season. Howell finished No. 1 in the MAC and No. 16 in the nation with 9.5 sacks. His 9.5 sacks ranked No. 6 nationally among linebackers and tied former NFL palyer Diyral Briggs' 2008 season for No. 4 on BGSU's single-season ledger.

During his first year at BGSU in 2022, Lawanson oversaw an outside linebackers unit that notched 11 sacks alone, which was more than one FBS squad had as a team (Colorado). Headlining the group was Demetrius Hardamon who notched six sacks, which ranked No. 8 in the MAC overall and No. 3 among linebackers.

Lawanson came to Bowling Green in 2022 with 23 years of coaching experience at the FBS, FCS, professional and high school levels.

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.