A former standout linebacker at Texas Christian University, Robert Lyles joined the UIW staff in the Spring of 2015. The former NFL linebacker came to the Cardinals after coaching one season at Jackson State.
In his first season at UIW, Lyles was able to work with the best football player in the program's history, Myke Tavarres. All Tavarres did under Lyles' tutelage was earn three different All-America honors and be named the Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year while setting school records for tackles, tackles for loss and sacks in a season.
Prior to his season at JSU, Lyles spent eight seasons at West Point. He worked with a number of Army's linebacker positions, including the mike spot in 2013 during his career. After three years of working with the Black Knights' whip linebackers, Lyles shifted responsibilites to the rover position in 2012. Lyles spent his first two seasons teaming with Tony Coaxum in leading the Black Knights' linebackers.
In his first season working in Rich Ellerson's defensive scheme, Lyles mentored the Black Knights' leading tackler, Andrew Rodriguez. Rodriguez was one of Army's top playmakers, also racking up 1.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, three pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles.
An eight-year National Football League veteran, Lyles served tenures with both the Houston Oilers (1984-89) and Atlanta Falcons (1990-91) in the professional ranks.
Following his departure from the Falcons, Lyles continued his professional playing career in the Arena Football League, spending a year with both the Tampa Bay Storm (1994) and Memphis Pharaohs (1995).
Lyles began his coaching career in 1995, spending a year with the AFL's Memphis Pharaohs as special teams coordinator and linebackers coach. He accepted a position with the Portland Forest Dragons the following year, serving as defensive coordinator from 1996 to 1998. Lyles went on to fill the same role for the Los Angeles Avengers one year later.
The defensive-minded Lyles was named the Avengers' interim head coach four games into the 2001 season and guided the club to a 5-6 record the remainder of the year. Under Lyles, the Avengers ranked first in the AFL in total defense (allowing an average of 249.4 yards per game) in 2001, and second in passing defense (231.5 yards). Los Angeles was also listed first among Arena Football League teams in scoring defense (39.3) that season.
Lyles was named head coach of the AFL's Georgia Force the following year and shouldered those duties for the first five games of the 2002 campaign.
In addition to his vast coaching experience in the Arena Football League, Lyles spent two seasons working in National Football League training camps under the NFL's Minority Coach Fellowship Program. Current and former NFL head coaches such as Herman Edwards (New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs) and Marvin Lewis (Cincinnati Bengals) have also taken part in the program in the past.
Lyles served as an assistant coach for one season at San Bernardino Valley College in 2003 prior to his final tour in the Arena Football League as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator for the Grand Rapids Rampage. He remained with the Rampage for the 2004 and 2005 campaigns before shifting back to the high school level where he served coaching stints at View Park Charter School (2005) and AB Miller High (2006).
