The University of West Georgia football program turned to a local star to fill a staff vacancy, as Pat Gamble was named the defensive line coach in March of 2022.
Highlights from Gamble's 2023 unit was Allen Johnson's seven sacks which led the Gulf South Conference and Shahin O'Neal racking up eight tackles for loss which was god for seventh in the league. As a team, the Wolves recorded 27 sacks, accounting for 159 yards of loss. Marzavion Dix earned All-Super Region 2 honors under Gamble's tutelage in 2022 and he and Johnson also earned All-Gulf South Conference honors.
A native of Carrollton, Gamble returned to the UWG staff for his second stint after gaining coaching experience at the Division I college ranks and the high school level. Gamble most recently served as the defensive line coach at his high school alma mater, Central High in Carrollton.
Prior to his time at CHS, Gamble was at Louisiana-Lafayette as a defensive line graduate assistant. While with the Ragin’ Cajuns, Gamble assisted with a defensive unit that finished 33rd nationally in total defense in 2020 and second in the Sun Belt conference in 2019. Gamble coached Zi’Yon Hill to two All-Sunbelt selections in his time at UL-Lafayette.
Gamble was a graduate assistant under David Dean during the 2018 season, assisting with the linebackers, and helping the Wolves to the second-best defense in the Gulf South Conference in terms of total defense and scoring defense.
A graduate of Georgia Tech, Gamble was a scholarship member of the GT football team from 2012-2016, and was named team captain for the 2016 season. Gamble’s career with the Yellow Jackets culminated with an All-ACC selection in 2016, and he was a two-time ACC Academic Honor Roll and was also on the Dean’s List during his time on North Avenue.
Following his collegiate career, Gamble got a taste of the National Football League, signing an undrafted free agent contract with the New York Jets and also spent time in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers organization.
A native of Carrollton, Gamble holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Literature, Media, and Communications from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Master’s of Business Administration from Louisiana-Lafayette.
