Trenton State College '75
Eric Hamilton enters his 34th season as the head coach for The College of New Jersey football program. Hamilton has been the face of Lions football since he earned All-American honors as an offensive center in 1974.
Heading into the 2010 season, Hamilton is just four victories shy of his 200th career coaching victory. Since taking over as head coach in 1977, he has compiled a career record of 196-130-6. Hamilton currently ranks third in the nation amongst active Division III coaches in career wins.
During his tenure as head coach, the Lions have advanced to seven postseason appearances in the ECAC and the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament. TCNJ enjoyed NCAA tournament appearances in 1990, 1996, 1997, 1998, and 2007, while garnering ECAC tournament bids in 1995 and 2003. The Lions posted their first NCAA tournament victory in 1990 when they defeated Ithaca College 24-14.
Hamilton has led the Lions football program to 21 winning seasons and eight conference championships (two as a member of the New Jersey State Athletic Conference and six in the New Jersey Athletic Conference). The first in school history came in 1980 when his squad compiled an 8-1-1 record. They added conference titles in 1983, 1988, 1990, 1994, 1996, 1998, and 2007.
To date, Hamilton has produced 21 All-American performers (three Kodak/AFCA All-American, nine Associated Press All-Americans, one AFCA, eight Football Gazette, and one D3football.com), 68 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) All-Star selections, 138 All-NJAC First Team performers and three CoSIDA Academic All-Americans.
Hamilton began his coaching career at the ripe age of 23, and at the time, was the youngest collegiate head coach in the country. A graduate of Bordentown High School, Hamilton was a scholar-athlete at Trenton State College and an all-conference performer for three consecutive seasons. Hamilton left his mark at TSC in 1974 when the team captain became the first Lions football player to earn All-American honors receiving berths on the Kodak, Associated Press, United Press International teams. In 1995, he was inducted into TCNJ’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
He served as a graduate assistant for two seasons before earning the head coaching position.
Hamilton has received numerous coaching accolades during his career including being selected Coach of the Year by the New Jersey College Football Writers Association two consecutive seasons in (1980 and 1981). Hamilton earned NJAC Coach of the Year honors in 1983, 1990, 1994, 1996, 1998 and 2007 and was also cited by D3football.com as the East Region Coach of the Year as well after guiding the Lions to the NCAA’s in 2007. In addition, Hamilton was named the recipient of the National Football Foundations Chapter Leadership Award for the Eastern Region in 2002 and was recognized by the organization for his contributions to the sport.
Hamilton has played an active role in the community taking on leadership roles in the Delaware Valley Chapter of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame, Mercer County’s 12th Man Touchdown Club, and sponsors the Sunshine Football Classic game every July in Lions’ Stadium. The event helps grant the dreams and wishes of terminally ill, chronically ill, and handicapped children whose parents are under financial strain due to the child’s illness.
Hamilton earned a master of education degree (M.Ed.) in student personnel services. He and his wife Kathleen have five children, sons Matthew, age 30, Jeffrey, age 28, daughter Kaitlin, age 24, and sons Ryan, age 19, and Colin, who is 17.
