The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/862569
60 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY JACEY ZEMBAL T he hiring of men's basketball as- sistant coach A.W. Hamilton en- sured that new head coach Kevin Keatts would have a complete staff of coaches that had at one point worked at Chatham (Va.) Hargrave Military Academy. Hamilton, James Johnson and Takayo Siddle all have deep connections to Keatts and the school. In the case of Hamilton, he played for Keatts at Hargrave during the 1999-2000 season. From there, Hamilton signed with Wake Forest, but eventually left to play his last three years at Marshall, one of which was when Keatts was an assistant coach with the Thundering Herd. The Georgetown, Ky., native averaged 7.0 points and 4.1 assists per game while shooting 38.4 per- cent from the three-point line in 105 career games between Wake Forest and Marshall from 2000-05. Hamilton spent a year as a graduate as- sistant at Marshall and then went to work for Keatts as an assistant coach at Har- grave. Hamilton eventually took over the program when Keatts was hired to become an assistant coach at Louisville in 2011. Keatts told Hamilton to just be himself as head coach. "I was smart enough to realize we had a great blueprint and I followed that," Hamil- ton said. "I put my own wrinkle into things. It was a great experience and an honor." Hargrave went 236-26 during Hamilton's six years, including winning the 2015-16 prep school national title. Hamilton had opportunities to join the college ranks over the years, but his patience paid off when the right fit with Keatts became an option. BUILT-IN CHEMISTRY New Assistant Coach A.W. Hamilton Has A Special Relationship With Kevin Keatts In six years as the head coach at Chatham (Va.) Hargrave Military Academy, Hamilton posted a 236-26 record (.901 winning percentage) and led the 2015-16 team to the national championship with a 47-1 mark. PHOTO COURTESY HARGRAVE MILITARY ACADEMY