Rice Hires Pete Lembo Away From Maryland to Be Associate Head Coach

Lembo has a strong background with programs at schools with high academic standards.

Pete Lembo is leaving Maryland to become Rice’s new special teams coordinator and associate head coach, the same roles he held with the Terrapins, a source told SI. Maryland ranked 11th in the nation with four blocked kicks last season and fifth in 2016 with five blocked kicks. The year before Lembo was hired away from Ball State, the Terps didn’t block any kicks.

A Georgetown grad with a strong background at schools with high academic standards, the 47-year-old Lembo figures to be a big asset to new Owls head coach Mike Bloomgren, who had spent the past five seasons as Stanford’s offensive coordinator. Over 15 years as a head coach at Lehigh, Elon and Ball State before arriving at Maryland, Lembo compiled a 112–65 record.