Darren Hamilton adjusts to new job
The telephone call came at 10 on a Saturday night, which isn’t too bad until the three-hour time difference is figured in.
But working late is necessary as Darren Hamilton embarks on his new job.
The former embattled athletic director at Eastern Washington is now the A.D. at Alcorn State, a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference in Alcorn, Miss.
“It’s an athletic director job – they’re all the same,” Hamilton said. “Everybody has a separate set of challenges.”
Hamilton said he wanted to upgrade facilities, generate more scholarship money and increase the operation budget, the same things every A.D. in the country wants to do.
It was no different than what Hamilton hoped to accomplish when he started at EWU on Sept. 1, 2006. After an initial burst of enthusiasm, however, Hamilton didn’t seem to mesh with a majority of the athletic department and he resigned under fire March 15, 2007, saying it was not a good fit.
“(Eastern Washington) was a great learning experience,” Hamilton said. “There is great leadership from Dr. (Rodolfo) Arevalo. I’m satisfied with everything that happened. I have no regrets.”
Hamilton, who pledged a clean program, reported several NCAA violations shortly after his arrival at Eastern. So far the NCAA has not ruled on any of them. There were also two complaints of sexual harassment against Hamilton that were never substantiated.
“It was definitely a learning experience,” he said. “Once the NCAA investigation comes forth, it will be vindication it was a conspiracy … (somebody) wanted me out.”
Hamilton said the biggest pressure at Alcorn is to balance the budget by the end of the fiscal year. To that end, he quickly started a 60-day campaign to raise $250,000 by getting 1,000 people to donate $250.
One report also said he fired the basketball coach his first day on the job.
“On March 31, his contract was not renewed and on April 1, I walked through the door,” he said. “I don’t know how that got tagged to me.”
Hamilton’s wife, Sherry, is an instructor in the Health, Physical Education and Recreation Department at Eastern and may remain on staff.
“She wants to continue teaching,” her husband said. “She loves it. She has a great impact on young adults.”
The history of the SWAC dates back to 1920 and has many notable alumni such as Walter Payton (Jackson State), Jerry Rice (Mississippi Valley State), Michael Strahan (Texas Southern) and Willis Reed (Grambling State). Alcorn joined in 1962 and among the most famous former Braves are quarterback Steve McNair and wide receiver Donald Driver.
“This is a strong conference with great tradition and history,” Hamilton said. “It’s a great fit. I’m extremely comfortable with my job. I’m excited, I’m happy. I’ll be here for a long time and I know the feeling is mutual.”