Greenville graduate Matt Hamilton name to head up Green Wave boys basketball program
GREENVILLE – Greenville alum and former standout basketball player, Matt Hamilton has been named the head up the Green Wave boys basketball program following a stint as the program’s JV boys basketball coach.
“I am very excited,” said Hamilton. “It has been a good process to go through and I am excited to say the least.”
“Matt brings a well-rounded program,” said Greenville Athletic Director, Aaron Shaffer. “He is going to be involved in the summer, he is going to be involved with our youth – he’s been in our program.”
Hamilton, a former standout Green Wave basketball player is looking forward to building a solid Greenville boys basketball program well into the future.
“I took this job because I felt like it was an opportunity to obviously coach basketball but as I have come up through the coaching ranks at Greenville it’s become more than basketball,” said Coach Hamilton. “Being part of the community and helping to raise young men and build them in the workforce and husbands and fathers – it’s more than just basketball.”
“Matt’s experience level may not be high in terms of year to year coaching at the high school level but he has been able to lead people,” Shaffer said. “We’re excited for him to get started. He is going to do a great job for us and continue to build a program from the bottom up from third grade through 12th grade. It’s a big task and we’re excited to see what he can do for us.”
A small school by today’s standards playing in the competitive Miami Valley League, Greenville takes the court as one of just two Division II schools completing against larger DI programs.
“I don’t see any reason why we can’t compete in the MVL,” Hamilton stated. “Numbers are numbers but if you put the work in and develop the fundamentals as they come through the youth program and instill the work ethic they need – hard work beats lazy talent every time.”
“Last year we started part of a MVL youth league so our plan is to continue that and have those coaches start instilling the fundamentals that we run here with the high school programs,” he said. “We will continue to build on it every year.”
“We want them to be multi-sport athletes,” Hamilton said of getting kids out to play. “They are conflicted for time. I want them to know that is ok. We still want them to be involved with the program in the off season but we want to make the program fun but still a challenge to get better. Make it about comradery and being part of a team to where kids want to be part of that team.”
An appreciative Coach Hamilton took time to thank those that provided him his first career head varsity coaching job.
“First I want to thank God,” Hamilton said. “I believe He has put me in this place and then the entire administration; Mr. Frieze, Mr. Hughes, Mr. Shaffer, Coach Kerns who was part of the selection. They are all part of the process and they did their diligence of the hiring process and I am excited to be a part of it.”
