RALEIGH, N.C. (May 26) – The Shaw University women’s basketball program is proud to announce that Lou Hamilton is the new Associate Head Coach of the Lady Bears.
Hamilton replaces Shawn Walker, who was named head men’s basketball coach at Allen University in April.
Well respected in the coaching profession, Hamilton brings 11 years of Division I experience to the iconic Lady Bears program, a CIAA and national powerhouse under legendary Head Coach Jacques Curtis. He joins a Lady Bears staff that includes assistant coaches Danielle Dawson and Jessica Hawkins.
“Hamilton bolsters an already strong coaching staff,” said Curtis, who has coached Shaw to nine CIAA titles and one NCAA Division II national title. “I feel we have the best coaching staff in the CIAA and among the best in the nation. With the hiring of Hamilton, we will continue to play at a championship level.”
Before arriving at Shaw, Hamilton coached at Division I HBCUs Norfolk State, Grambling State, Delaware State and North Carolina A&T State Universities. For six seasons, Hamilton was an assistant coach with the Norfolk State women’s basketball team before transitioning to a role in the strength and conditioning department. Hamilton’s main duties as assistant coach included working with the Spartans’ post players in addition to coordinating recruiting, community service initiatives, team managers and practice players.
In the 2019-20 season, the Spartans posted a 19-11 overall record, which was the second-most wins in its Division I history. The season was shut down prior to the MEAC Tournament semifinals due to COVID-19.
In the 2018-19 season, Norfolk State advanced to the MEAC Championship game for the first time in 14 years, ending North Carolina A&T State’s 28-game win streak against conference foes with a win in the semifinals. Norfolk State improved by 12 wins with Hamilton on the bench for his second year in the 2016-17 season, the largest single-season turnaround in program history.
Prior to joining Norfolk State, Hamilton had five years of experience coaching at Division I HBCUs. A former high school and AAU coach, Hamilton started his coaching career in 2010 at North Carolina A&T State, where he served as recruiting coordinator and worked primarily with post players. At A&T, he helped recruit several standout players, including Eboni Ross, who was named MEAC Rookie of the Year in the 2012-13 season.
Hamilton has head coaching experience as well. The interim head coach at Grambling State during the 2013-14 season, he directed the women’s team to a first-round SWAC Tournament win after the squad placed ninth a season ago.
Hamilton is very familiar with the CIAA. He began his collegiate career as a football student-athlete at Charleston Southern before transferring to Fayetteville State University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1996.
A native of Greenville, S.C., Hamilton was a three-sport athlete at Carolina High School.
Two interesting facts about Hamilton: His sister Edwina Findley is a famous actress and his brother Mike Hamilton played in the NFL (1997-2000). Findley was one of the lead characters in the Tyler Perry drama series If Loving You Is Wrong. Among her many credits, she played in the critically acclaimed crime drama series The Wire and was Kevin Hart’s wife in the movie Get Hard.
This post was originally published on Shaw Bears
