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Portrait of a female high school flag football player
Portrait of a female high school flag football player
Texas Wesleyan University has found the leader for its new, groundbreaking flag football program.
The school has announced that it has hired Keenah Lambert as the first head coach of its new women’s varsity flag football team, which will begin play in 2026.
Wesleyan is the first university in Texas to launch a varsity women’s flag football team.
Lambert brings with her roots and relationships in the game.
Before her appointment as head coach, Lambert served as the city of Fort Worth’s youth sports programmer and flag football administrator. She also played a key role in identifying emerging female flag football talent in the Crowley school district in collaboration with Angellica Grayson, an NFL Flag Football ambassador and assistant junior national coach.
Keenah Lambert
According to the university, Lambert has formed strong partnerships with the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans, both advocating for the development and expansion of women’s flag football in Texas. Currently, 86 regional high schools offer women’s flag football.
“TXWES has made great strides in expanding its athletic programs, and the addition of a varsity women’s flag football team reflects the university’s dedication to providing women with opportunities to excel in collegiate sports,” said Texas Wesleyan athletic director Ricky Dotson in a statement. “This historic step is supported by a dedicated team of professionals, including Keenah, a seasoned collegiate sports program coordinator with extensive experience in sports management and player development.”
The school announced in January that it would launch a program for the 2026 season with a roster of 25 to 30 student-athletes. The program will compete nationwide as part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. It will be a scholarship sport. The university is still evaluating its scholarship model while ensuring it fits within the limits of the NAIA.
Lambert earned a bachelor’s in sports management and a bachelor’s in mass communication from Winston-Salem State University. She is pursuing a master’s in sports management from Florida State University.
“I am excited to serve as the first head coach of Texas Wesleyan University’s varsity women’s flag football team and for the first team of its kind in Texas,” Lambert said. “TXWES is known as a trailblazing university, and I am thrilled to be part of the RAMily.”
Lambert also has a track record in college athletics, bringing extensive experience from roles at Hofstra University, the University of Rhode Island, and Florida State. Her background includes athletics support, recruiting, event coordination, and student development.
Prior to serving the city of Fort Worth, Lambert was the director of basketball operations at Florida State. Lambert was part of the men’s NCAA tournament teams in 2017 and 2018, with the latter earning a spot in the Elite Eight. Four players signed with the NBA.
“Coach Lambert has an incredible level of enthusiasm and initiative in partnering with the Dallas Cowboys to help grow the sport of women’s flag football,” said Danny McCray, youth football development manager for the Dallas Cowboys. “Her passion for the game and commitment to creating opportunities for young women in Texas is evident in everything she does. Texas Wesleyan University has been a tremendous advocate for the sport and a strong ally to the Cowboys organization in our shared goal of expanding women’s flag football.”
