Football Southern Conference

Elon Names New Football Coach

ELON, N.C. - Elon University Director of Athletics Dr. Alan White introduced Paul Hamilton as the institution's 18th head football coach Tuesday morning in a press conference in the Woods Center at Rhodes Stadium on the Elon campus.

Hamilton has been a long-time familiar face around Southern Conference football, including a recently completed seven-year stint as the head coach at East Tennessee State University. Hamilton, 45, will lead Elon into its 83rd football season next fall as well as its sixth campaign as an NCAA-IAA member and second in the Southern Conference.

"We are excited to have Paul Hamilton as our head football coach," said White. "He has tremendous experience in the Southern Conference as both a player and a coach. He is a very knowledgeable, experienced coach, which is what we felt we needed in our new Southern Conference affiliation. Coach Hamilton understands our university mission and possesses the personal values and character that make him a good fit for our program and our university. We are looking forward to our work together."

At ETSU, Hamilton's teams forged a 38-41 ledger the past seven years (1997-2003). Hamilton spent seven seasons (1990-96) as an assistant coach at the U.S. Air Force Academy before taking the helm of the Buccaneers. Prior to that, he served as an assistant at Wofford College for two seasons (1988-89) and an assistant at East Tennessee State for five campaigns (1983-87). He also spent one season (1982) as an assistant at The Citadel and one year (1981) as an assistant at Glynn Academy (Brunswick, Ga.).

A 1981 graduate of Appalachian State University, Hamilton earned a bachelor's degree in science. In 1986, he received a master's degree in secondary education from The Citadel. Hamilton collected three varsity letters in football at ASU, where he played quarterback and served as a team captain.

"Christmas came early to the Hamilton household. My family and I are greatly blessed to be part of this university," said Hamilton. "I am very fortunate to coach this game and the young men at Elon University."

Hamilton and his wife Jane, a native of Spruce Pine, N.C., have three children - a son, Kye (20) and two daughters, Jenna (17) and Alanna (13).