As the interim track and field head coach, last year, junior Darron Sheppard earned All-American honors at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a fifth-place throw in the discus with a season-best throw of 167-8 and three others recorded NCAA provisional marks.

Two other Lions earned honors as well as seniors Niki Williams and Larry Gilbert were named Lone Star Conference Scholar-Athlete Award winners. Sophomore Kyle Thompson was named the male Lone Star Conference Academic Athlete of the Year for track and field.

Lawrence is excited about the transition from being the interim coach to the permanent position. "First, we have spent a lot of time and effort to make things work. I think they have worked out pretty well. Second, recruiting has gone really well, and third, I'm glad I get the opportunity to give back to this school in a field that I am very familiar."

Prior to A&M-Commerce, Lawrence had spent the previous two years at nearby Como-Pickton High School. At Como-Pickton, he was the head golf coach and assistant football and track and field coach. Lawrence coached the 17-2A district high school and junior high pole vault champions in 2004 and 2005.

He served as an assistant football coach for the Lions from 1993 to 2003. As the offensive coordinator, he coached the Lions to a berth in the 1995 NCAA Division II playoffs. Lawrence served as the head football coach at Wisconsin-Stout from 1986 to 1992 and Panhandle State from 1981-82. Before becoming the head coach at Panhandle State, he served as an assistant football coach and head track coach at Panhandle State from 1979 to 1980, where he coached three national track qualifiers. From 1983 to 1985, he served as the recruiting coordinator and outside linebackers coach at Wyoming.

He also was the head football and head track coach at Hartley High School in Hartley, Iowa from 1974-78. He coached the 1974 state champions in the 400-meter relay.

Lawrence was a three-sport letterwinner at Johnson County High School, where he was a state long jump champion as a senior, a two-time all-conference selection in football and basketball. He played two seasons at Chadron State before transferring to Upper Iowa, where he was team captain in football and a letterwinner in track and field. As a member of the track and field team at Upper Iowa, Lawrence participated in the sprints, long jump and pole vault.

Lawrence is married to the former Joan Washut of Buffalo, Wyoming and they have three children, Michael, who is the head football coach at Western Hills High School in Fort Worth, Texas; Jamie Sue, who is the assistant executive director for Positive Alternative in Menomonic, Wisc.; and Matthew, who is a regional manager for Valiant, Inc., in Garner, Texas.