Eastern Kentucky Colonels

CHAMPIONS!  A.W. Hamilton led EKU to the 2023-24 Atlantic Sun Conference Regular Season Championship.  It was the first regular season conference title for the Colonels in 45 years (1979) and the seventh in program history.  Hamilton was chosen as the ASUN Coach of the Year and the NABC District III Coach of the Year.  He is the first coach in program history to be named conference coach of the year two times.

Hamilton has taken Colonel basketball to heights very few coaches who came before him have reached.  In many cases he has accomplished what no EKU men’s basketball head coach has ever done.

In his first six seasons as head coach, the Colonels broke 68 program records.  In 2022-23, Hamilton led the team to 23 wins, the third most in one season in program history.  In 2020-21, EKU won 22 games, tied for the fourth-most in program history.  That means Hamilton has coached two of the five winningest teams ever in addition to one of only seven regular season conference championship teams.  He is one of only three coaches in program history to lead the Colonels to multiple 20-win seasons.  Hamilton is the only EKU coach to lead his team to 12 or more conference wins in a season four different times.

Hamilton’s brand of basketball – “The Most Exciting 40 Minutes in Sports” – has resonated with Colonel fans.  A new record for season tickets was set in 2021-22 and again in 2022-23.  The crowd of 6,303 for the game against Western Kentucky on Nov. 10, 2022 was the largest in more than 20 seasons.  EKU led the ASUN in average home attendance in 2022-23, the first time a Colonel team had ever led its conference in attendance, and then led the league in attendance again in 2023-24.

Hamilton was chosen as the conference & district coach of the year in 2020 and 2024

As part of “The Most Exciting 40 Minutes In Sports”, in three of the past four seasons Hamilton’s teams have led the conference in scoring.  EKU was the eighth highest scoring team in the nation in 2020-21, averaging more than 80 points per game, the 16th highest scoring team in 2021-22, 30th in 2022-23 and 29th in 2023-24 with an average of 81 points per game.

In five of Hamilton’s six seasons as head coach the Colonels have led the conference in steals and turnovers forced, ranking among the top-10 in the nation four of the last six years.  In addition to scoring, steals and turnovers forced, EKU has consistently been among the conference and national leaders in assists and 3-pointers as well.

In May of 2023, Eastern Kentucky University secured Hamilton’s place as leader of the program with a contract extension through the 2026-27 season.

“I am beyond thankful for Eastern Kentucky University, Board Chair Michael Eaves, the entire Board of Regents and President Dr. David McFaddin,” said Hamilton.  “It is an honor to represent the best university in the country as its men’s basketball coach.  The staff and players we’ve had the last six years have made a major impact in my life, and helped us make incredible strides with the program.  I could write a book on how invested, supportive and loving our fans have been with us, game in and game out, over the last six years.  Leading the conference in attendance for the first time in school history is a great example of that.  My wife Chelsea and our kids are so invested in Madison County and thankful to be here for years to come.”

In his first six seasons as head coach, Hamilton has tutored nine all-conference selections, a conference player of the year, a conference defensive player of the year, three all-freshman/newcomer honorees and two conference all-tournament picks.