The Charlotte 49ers officially named their first head football coach in team history Tuesday, although the team won’t officially hit the field until the fall 2013.

The team announced former Wake Forest defensive coordinator Brad Lambert as the first-ever head coach.

This comes after a two-month long search for the program’s first leader by 49ers Athletic Director Judy Rose.

Lambert , 46, from Hoxie, Kan., has spent 10 seasons on the Wake Forest staff and became defensive coordinator in 2008.

Rose decided to hire Lambert over more high profile candidates who showed interest in the job, including former North Carolina State coach Chuck Amato and former Carolina Panthers safety Mike Minter.

During the 2008 season, the Demon Deacons recorded one of their best defensive seasons ever, holding opponents to 296.7 yards per game. It was their second-best defense, statistically, in their 41-year history.

Before Wake Forest, Lambert served as an assistant at the University of Georgia for five years.

Lambert played football for Kansas State and graduated from the school in 1987.

Lambert announced on Tuesday that Jeff Mullen will become the team's offensive coordinator. Mullen spent last three seasons in the same position at West Virginia.

The 49ers will begin play in the Football Championship Subdivision, with the goal to eventually move to the NCAA's top tier of competition.