Lance Thompson Position: Assistant Coach

Lance Thompson arrives in Knoxville the owner of a championship pedigree.

The Riverdale, Ga., native helped mold national title-winners at Georgia Tech and LSU, and spent the last two seasons rejuvenating Alabama's fortunes toward the SEC elite as outside linebackers coach and recruiting specialist. All told, Thompson has been a member of two SEC championship coaching staffs, two ACC championship staffs and one Conference USA divisional winner.

Thompson owns two separate coaching stints alongside Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban, having originally joined Saban at LSU for the 2002-03 seasons before rejoining him at Alabama in 2007. He served LSU as the assistant head coach in charge of recruiting and tight ends for the Tigers during their national championship season in 2003. Thompson began his tenure at LSU in 2002 as the defensive line coach. In his first year with the Tigers, Thompson coached defensive tackle Chad Lavalais to All-SEC first team honors as the Tigers' front four racked up 22 sacks.

From there, Thompson spent three years as defensive coordinator at Central Florida. In 2005, Thompson's defense produced a pair of All-Conference USA first-team selections in defensive end Paul Carrington and cornerback Joe Burnett. The Golden Knights also were 2005 Conference USA Eastern Division champions.

The Georgia native developed one of the nation's youngest defenses in 2004 that battled constant injuries into a respectable unit by the end of the season. The Golden Knights held their opposition to 21 points or less in three of the final four games of the season.

Thompson previously served as Alabama's defensive line coach in 1999-2000, helping the Crimson Tide to the 1999 SEC Championship and a berth in the Orange Bowl.

He coached for four seasons on head coach George O'Leary's staff at Georgia Tech. In 2001, Thompson coached a defensive line that recorded 21 sacks for the Yellow Jackets, including 10 by All-America defensive end Greg Gathers.

Prior to his first two-year stint at Alabama, Thompson was a part of the Georgia Tech staff for 11 years. During his stay with the Yellow Jackets, Thompson was defensive line coach in 1998; defensive ends coach in 1996 and 1997 and tight ends coach in 1995. Thompson served as Georgia Tech's recruiting coordinator from 1995-98 and then again in 2001. Prior to serving as an on-field coach for the Yellow Jackets, Thompson held the position of Director of Football Operations at Georgia Tech from 1992-94.

Thompson got his start in coaching in 1988, serving as a graduate assistant for two years at Georgia Tech, followed by two more years as a volunteer assistant in 1990 and 1991. Thompson coached the defensive ends, including former All-American and All-Pro Marco Coleman, as Georgia Tech won the 1990 national championship.

As a player, Thompson was a four-year letterman at The Citadel, where he earned his bachelor's degree in education and mathematics in 1987. A native of Riverdale, Ga., Thompson is married to the former Stacy Cambron of Henderson, Ky., and the couple has three daughters -- Allie, Christina and Lane.