Billy Gamble served 21 years as golf coach at North Alabama and helped direct the Lions to numerous milestone successes. Included on that list are 11 NCAA regional appearances, nine trips to the Division II National Championships, four regional championships and the school’s first Gulf South Conference golf title. After taking over as head golf coach in 1989, Gamble coached 25 All-GSC performers, 14 All-Americans, and helped UNA remain among the most consistent performers in the conference. In all, Gamble led UNA to eleven NCAA regional appearances (1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009) and nine national championship tournaments (1996, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008). The Lions also won regional titles in 2002, 2003, 2007 and 2009 and won the school’s first-ever GSC golf crown in 2009.
In the summer of 2007, Gamble was inducted into the Wiregrass Hall of Fame as one of the most notable sports figures to emerge from the Dothan area of south Alabama. He was also named NCAA Division II South Region Coach of the Year in 2002, 2007 and 2009 and was GSC Coach of the Year in 2009 as well.Â
Gamble served as a basketball assistant at West Georgia for eight seasons prior to coming to UNA and was instrumental in helping put the UNA basketball program back in the national spotlight. In 15 years with Gary Elliott and UNA, Gamble helped the basketball Lions post an impressive 270-150 record that included four NCAA Tournament appearances and the 1991 Division II National Championship.Â
A native of Dothan, Ala., Gamble helped West Georgia compile a 162-67 basketball record during his tenure with the Braves, including two Gulf South Conference championships and five NCAA regional appearances. He also coached the WGC golf team.
Gamble graduated from Chipola (Fla.) Junior College. He then attended Troy State University, where he played basesball and earned a physical education degree in 1967. Following a brief professional career as a pitcher in the St. Louis Cardinals organization, Gamble went to work as a coach at Malone (Fla.) High School and George High School in Atlanta, before settling at Sprayberry High School near Atlanta. For nine and a half years before going to West Georgia, Gamble served as athletic director and head coach at Sprayberry.
He has been inducted into the Wiregrass Hall of Fame. He and his wife June reside in Killen. Â
