Charlotte 49ers turn to former N.C. State QB to energize offense

Shane Montgomery, a three-year starting quarterback for N.C. State in the 1980s, was named offensive coordinator at Charlotte, 49ers coach Brad Lambert announced Wednesday.

Montgomery, 50, comes to Charlotte from Youngstown State, were he was offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, the same roles he’ll have with the 49ers.

“We are excited Shane has decided to join our staff,” said Lambert, whose record is 17-41 at Charlotte. “He has a wealth of experience as an offensive coordinator and also brings head coaching experience. He has called plays at the FBS and FCS levels and has always had a balanced offense, which is what we want at Charlotte.

“He can help us improve our passing efficiency. Another thing that is really attractive is that Shane played quarterback at N.C. State and brings that to the table. He’s a guy we targeted in the search and we’re fired up to get him here and get him started.”

Montgomery was N.C. State’s quarterback from 1986-89 under former coach Dick Sheridan.. He led the Wolfpack to two straight bowl bids. He was offensive MVP of the 1988 Peach Bowl and 1989 Copper Bowl. He still owns the N.C. State record for passing yards in a game with 535 vs. Duke in 1989.

Montgomery has coached for more than 20 years, including eight seasons as head coach at Miami (Ohio), where he coached Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for four seasons.

“I’m excited to be joining the 49ers program,” said Montgomery. “I’ve known coach Lambert for over 25 years and I’m looking forward to helping him continue to build the program. It’s an up-and-coming program and it’s exciting to get in on the front end. Getting in and helping build a program is very attractive.”

Last season, Youngstown State’s offense averaged 29.7 points and 411.1 yards, with 2,447 rushing yards (222.5 per game) and 2,075 passing yards (188.6 per game).

Charlotte’s offense averaged 13.5 points and 309.5 yards, with 1,853 rushing (168.3 per game) and 1,552 passing yards (141.0 per game).

A native of Newark, Ohio, Montgomery and wife Sandy have two sons, Tanner and Trent. Tanner is a catcher on Youngstown State’s baseball team.

This story was originally published December 26, 2017 at 7:02 PM with the headline "Charlotte 49ers turn to former N.C. State QB to energize offense."