Archibald William Hamilton VI (born October 15, 1980)[1] is an American basketball coach and former player.
Hamilton served as the head basketball coach at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Virginia, from 2011 to 2017.
Born in Georgetown, Kentucky, he played college basketball for Wake Forest and Marshall, where he graduated in 2005.
[2] Hamilton starred at Scott County High School under coach Billy Hicks from 1996 to 1999, earning four varsity letters.
Following his career at Scott County, Hamilton played a postgraduate year at Hargrave Military Academy, beginning a relationship with head coach Kevin Keatts.
Hamilton averaged 17.9 points, 9.6 assists and 7.0 rebounds per game for Hargrave before signing a full basketball scholarship with Wake Forest.
[13] In his lone year at NC State, Hamilton was part of landing a top 10 recruiting class, helped the Wolfpack finish tied for 3rd in the ACC, and secured an NCAA Tournament at-large selection bid.
[14] Hamilton established his brand, “Most Exciting 40 Minutes in Sports,” or the modern day “40 Minutes of Hell.” In Hamilton's home opener he broke a decade long attendance record in a game vs his alma mater Marshall University with a fan attendance of 5,189.
[15] Hamilton's first collegiate win came on November 10, 2018, at UT-Chattanooga behind Nick Mayo's 40 point performance to top the Moc's 81–78.
[18] In his first year at charge, his team ranked 2nd according to KenPom in the NCAA Division I in Tempo/Pace, Forced Turnovers (18.2), Steals Per Game (10.2), and 13th in Scoring.
Hamilton was named a finalist for the Hugh Durham Award given to the top Mid-Major Coach in College Basketball.
This class was ranked higher than the likes of Colorado, Rutgers, Cal, UCONN, Georgia, Gonzaga and Utah.
Cooper Robb's buzzer beater from 3/4 court to beat Georgia State was #1 on top 10 plays on sports center.
[37] Heading into the 2023-24 season, EKU basketball underwent a significant transformation when key players announced their return in March 2023.
This decision proved pivotal, as it brought back 84% of their scoring, 88% of their assists, 76% of their blocks, 74% of their rebounds, and 74% of their steals from the previous season.
[38] EKU was among just 10 teams nationwide to retain 70 percent or more of its points, assists, steals, and blocks from the prior year.
Despite facing early-season challenges and getting knocked down nine times in their first 13 games, the Colonels persevered, showcasing their resilience and unity.
Notably, they demonstrated their strength against formidable opponents like Alabama and Purdue, setting the stage for a remarkable turnaround.
[42] Shortly thereafter, Hamilton reached a significant milestone by securing his 100th victory at EKU with a memorable win against FGCU on February 7.
[44] Just two nights later, EKU solidified their legacy by clinching the 2024 Atlantic Sun Conference title with a standout performance against Central Arkansas.
[50] Michael Moreno was named Vice Chair for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Student-Athlete Engagement Group.