Sunday, August 16, 2015

Norfolk State Women's Basketball Program Announces New Assistant Lou Hamilton

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Norfolk State women's basketball head coach Debra Clark announced Friday the hiring of Lou Hamilton as the Spartans' new assistant coach. Hamilton will work the Spartans' post players.

Hamilton replaces Patrena Trice-Hill, who accepted a similar position at Columbia University.

"I'm very excited about the addition of coach Hamilton to our staff," Clark said. "Coach Hamilton has a passion for and history of post player development. We're eager to get him in the gym to improve our players' individual skills, which will in turn improve our overall team. Coach Hamilton will also assist in recruiting top student-athletes who will enhance the women's basketball program at NSU."

Hamilton, who most recently was the recruiting coordinator and assistant coach in charge of post players at Delaware State, has five years of experience coaching at Division I HBCUs. He has also served stints at Grambling State University of the Southwestern Athletic Conference and North Carolina A&T of the MEAC.

Last season, Hamilton helped mentor a pair of double-digit scorers at DSU. Post player Tierra Hawkins earned All-MEAC first-team honors while ranking sixth in the MEAC in scoring (16.1 points per game), while frontcourt teammate Amber Bogard averaged 13.4 points per game. Thanks in part to the efforts of those two players, DSU led the MEAC in field goal percentage.

A former high school and AAU coach, Hamilton broke into the collegiate ranks on Patricia Cage-Bibbs' staff at North Carolina A&T in 2010. Hamilton spent two seasons on the Lady Aggies' bench, helping them compiled a 19-13 MEAC record. He served as recruiting coordinator and worked primarily with N.C. A&T's post players. While in Greensboro, Hamilton helped recruit several standout players, including Eboni Ross, who went onto win the MEAC Rookie of the Year Award in 2012-13. Ross was one of two future MEAC All-Rookie Team players recruited by Hamilton to North Carolina A&T.

Following the 2011-12 season, Hamilton moved along with Cage-Bibbs to Grambling State. After again serving as her recruiting coordinator and assistant in charge of post players in 2012-13, Hamilton was interim head coach for GSU in 2013-14 with Cage-Bibbs sidelined for health reasons. Grambling improved from ninth place in the SWAC standings in 2012-13 to seventh the following season, including a first-round SWAC Tournament victory.

Also while at Grambling, Hamilton helped the Lady Tigers sign a pair of Parade All-American high school performers.

Hamilton, a native of Greenville, S.C., was a three-sport athlete in high school. He began his collegiate career as a football student-athlete at Charleston Southern before transferring to Fayetteville State University to finish his collegiate career. Hamilton earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from Fayetteville State in 1995.

Hamilton is the father of two sons, Jamir Dogan-Hamilton (15) and Jeremiah Dogan (10). Hamilton and his wife, Latrondra, reside in Greensboro, N.C.

Matt Michalec, Asst. AD/Communications
COURTESY NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS

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