Lion’s tale: Coach Eric Hamilton ’75 notches milestone victory
A season that featured as many ups as it did downs for a 5-5 Lions football squad will be remembered for one noteworthy triumph: Coach Eric Hamilton’s 200th career win.
A season that featured as many ups as it did downs for a 5-5 Lions football squad will be remembered for one noteworthy triumph. On October 30 (just after our last issue went to press), Head Coach Eric Hamilton ’75 (center in photo) captured career victory number 200 when the Lions defeated Western Connecticut State University, 22-16. Hamilton became the 12th coach in NCAA Division III history to reach the milestone. As he enters his 35th season at the helm of the Lions football program, he ranks third among active coaches in career victories. Hamilton remarked to The Signal after his 200th win that, “The accomplishment means [I] have been here a while, and the fact that it is my alma mater means everything.”
Hamilton was an All-American football player at Trenton State College in 1974. After graduating in 1975, he was a graduate assistant for the Lions football program for two years before being named head coach in 1977. He was 23 years-old and the youngest college head coach in the nation.
Since his hiring, he has focused on continuing the tradition of Lions’ football and building on its core values: integrity, respect, pride, and family. During his journey, he has won championship titles, advanced to compete in the NCAA Championships, and reaped several Coach of the Year awards. Most importantly, he’s impacted the lives of thousands of teen-aged kids, and directed them on a path toward becoming men.
In honor of Hamilton’s milestone victory, the Sports Information Office compiled a collection of photos, quotes, and statistics from throughout Hamilton’s career. Click here to read about Hamilton’s road to 200 wins (PDF download).
Posted on February 23, 2011
