Hamilton was born in Glenford, Ohio and played basketball at Wittenberg for coaches Ray Mears and Eldon Miller. He was a member of the Tigers' 1961 national championship team. In 1968, Hamilton joined Miller's Wittenberg staff as an assistant and, two years later, succeeded him as head coach.[1]
Following the season, Hamilton was hired as head coach at Division I Navy.[2] He spent four seasons as the Midshipmen coach, posting a winning record in each season and gaining a reputation for fiery behavior. His career record at Navy was 54–47. He retired from coaching after Navy declined to renew his contract in 1980.[3]
