Paul Hamilton

From Staff Reports

BREVARD ó Paul Hamilton was named the fourth Brevard College football coach in 18 months during a news conference on campus last Friday afternoon.

Hamilton, who has nine years of experience as a head coach in college, was fullbacks coach at the Air Force Academy last year. He was quarterbacks coach at the academy from 1990 to 1996.

Previously, Hamilton, 49, was head coach at East Tennessee State for seven years and at Elon for two. He has an overall record of 44-57 and wa 26-44 in the Southern Conference.

Hamilton replaces Bobby Poss, a Reynolds High coaching legend, who was fired two weeks ago.

Poss, who was 2-6 in his one and only season last year for BC, was hired after Tommy Laurendine and Ralph Isernia quit shortly after accepting the job. Poss was hired in January 2006.

BC athletic director Tom Collins termed Poss ìthe right person to build the program ... No one else on Earth couldíve done it in eight months. Now, we need someone with experience, who can further the program under challenging circumstances, and I canít think of anyone but Hamilton.î

Collins said he initially contacted Hamilton to inquire about another candidate and instead asked Hamilton if he was interested.

Hamilton said the assistant coaches have been contacting the players during the interim since the departure of Poss and have reported a positive feedback concerning the program.

ìOne thing I know about the team is that we will be very, very young,î Hamilton said. ìI like to win and I like to be around winners. I hope our players are excited about the upcoming season as I am. I think theyíll sense my enthusiasm, and I think theyíll play hard for me. We certainly have a great challenge here.î

As for his offensive philosophy, Hamilton said he has used every offense there is during his 20 years as a college coach. While it is important to motivate players to make them aggressive, he noted that a priority will be to make opponents give up the football on turnovers while eliminating his own teamís mistakes.

Hamilton and his wife Jane, a native of Spruce Pine, have three children and plan to relocate to the Brevard community soon.
Meanwhile, BC President Drew Van Horn said of Hamiltonís hiring, ìItís a new day for Brevard College and a new day for football here. The challenge ahead for us is to make this institution a model college for Division II.î

Van Horn added, ìHe (Hamilton) believes in the value of higher education and supports the philosophy of the student-athlete that is so dear to our college.î

In addition, BC officials noted that plans for a new football stadium are in the works, but they declined to elaborate on estimated costs for the project.