Airline boys basketball coach Eddie Hamilton to leave school
Airline boys basketball coach Eddie Hamilton, who spent the past three seasons building the program on Viking Drive, has decided to step away from the program, according to principal Justin James.
One of the longest tenured coaches in the Shreveport-Bossier City area, Hamilton was the 2017 Shreveport Times Coach of the Year after directing his then Fair Park team to a 28-8 record and to the LHSAA Class 4A quarterfinals.
"Coach Hamilton has turned in his letter of resignation as head boys basketball coach at Airline High School," James told The Times. "He has decided to step away and refocus his career path. We are grateful for all he has done for Airline and our boy basketball program."
Hamilton was hired at Airline by the late Ronnie Coker, who was athletic director at the school at the time.
He succeeded longtime Airline coach Chris White in 2021 and saw his team go 5-13 in the Covid-shortened first season. The Vikings improved to 16-10 and made the playoffs last season then went 18-14 this season while advancing to the LHSAA Non-Select Division I playoffs.
Hamilton, an ordained minister, coached Fair Park for six seasons compiling a 131-94 record while regularly making long runs in the playoffs. When Fair Park was closed as a high school, he transitioned to Southwood for three seasons and went 66-34. His overall record in 12 seasons is 236-165.
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Born in Bossier City, Hamilton graduated from BTW and played briefly at Belhaven College before being sidelined by an injury. He graduated from Northwestern State and assisted former women’s basketball coach James Smith there.
Hamilton was recently selected to be one of just two Louisiana high school coaches participating in the Individual Pathway of the 2023 NCAA College Basketball Academy in Memphis July 24-31. Coaches are selected by the National Association of Basketball Coaches in coordination with the NCAA.
Jimmy Watson covers Louisiana sports for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at jwatson@shreveporttimes.com and follow him on Twitter @JimmyWatson6.
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Airline boys basketball coach Eddie Hamilton to leave school
