Jason Hamilton - Soccer Coach - East Carolina University Athletics

Jason Hamilton

Title:
Head Coach
Email:
hamiltonj17@ecu.edu
Phone:
(252) 737-1427

Jason Hamilton will enter his fourth season in Greenville in 2021 after he was named the fourth head coach in ECU women’s soccer history on Dec. 11, 2017.

Since arriving in Greenville, Hamilton's teams have experienced the program's most success since joining the American Athletic Conference. With a shortened season in the spring of 2021, the Pirates recorded a 3-6-2 overall record and a 3-3-2 conference ledger, finishing in fourth place in the AAC regular season standings and making a semi-final appearance in the conference tournament for the second time in three seasons under Hamilton's watch.

Four players recieved postseason honors, with Maeve English leading the way. The rookie goalkkeper was a three-time AAC Goalkeeper of the Week selection on her way to becoming a unanimous selection to the AAC All-Rookie team and AAC All-Tournament team. Joining English on the All-Rookie team was Annabbelle Abbott. Carsen Parker became the first player in American Athletic Conference history to be named the Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week in a single season. Parker received All-AAC Second-Team honors along with classmate Kim Sanford, who recieved the honor for the second time in her career. In the classroom, Hamilton's squad continued to excel under his leadership, setting a program-best semester (3.63), cumulative (3.61) and annual GPA (3.61).

Injuries limited the Pirates to just a 5-10-3 record in 2019. For the second straight season, ECU earned a result against a nationally-ranked team as the Pirates tied No. 8 Memphis in Johnson Stadium. Daria Draovitch finished her Pirate career with nine assists, including eight in her two seasons playing for Hamilton, to move into a tie for eighth all-time at ECU. Fan support swelled behind ECU as well, including 808 fans coming out to see the Pirates host rival NC State, the fifth-highest crowd in Johnson Stadium history.

Under Hamilton’s watch, Jayda Hylton-Pelaia became the first ECU player to a Preseason Player of the Year award since joining the AAC as she was named the AAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Kim Sanford and Melanie Stiles earned postseason honors, as both were named to the All-AAC Second-Team, the second consecutive year that multiple Pirates had earned postseason honors from the league.

In his debut season in Greenville, Hamilton led the Pirates back to the postseason for the first time since the 2015 season. ECU went 10-6-3 in 2018 which was the most wins for a Pirate squad since 2014. The Pirates also advanced past SMU in the AAC Championship First Round and played in the AAC Championship Semifinals for the first time since that same 2014 season.

Postseason honors rolled in for the Pirates. Courtney Cash became the first ECU player to be honored by the AAC for the third time, as she was named American Athletic Conference Second-Team for the second consecutive season. Joining Cash on the second-team was Jayda Hylton-Pelaia. Grace Doran was also honored by the conference, earning a spot on the league’s All-Rookie Team.

While at Mississippi State the Bulldogs had their best season in 16 years going 9-5-4 en route to their first winning season since 2012 and first top-50 RPI finish in program history. Three Bulldogs were named All-SEC for the first time, a program first, and Mallory Eubanks became State’s first SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was selected 17th overall in the 2018 NWSL Draft. Postseason honors continued to roll in as three Bulldogs were named National Soccer Coaches Association (NSCAA) All-Southeast Region and goalkeeper Catalina Perez was named Third Team All-America by the NSCAA – the first all-America selection in Mississippi State’s 23-year history.

ECU will be Hamilton’s second head coaching position at the NCAA Division I level after guiding Troy (Ala.) University to a 37-19-5 record from 2014 to 2016. The Trojans set a program single-season record for wins with a 16-6 mark and a Sunbelt Conference Tournament runner-up finish in 2014, his first year at the helm. From 2014-15, his Trojans ranked among the top-20 in defense and earned back-to-back top-100 RPI rankings. Hamilton has the highest winning percentage of any coach in the program’s 23-year history and the only coach to post a winning record in their tenure.

Hamilton began his collegiate coaching career at University of Miami (Fla.), where he served as the Hurricanes’ assistant coach from 2011-2013. During his time at UM, the Canes appeared in back-to-back NCAA Tournaments in 2011 and 2012, and earned the highest GPA in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and highest in program history, in 2011. He was also instrumental in bringing in back to back top 15 recruiting classes.

He left Miami for the Boston Breakers of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) where he was an assistant coach in 2013. While with the Breakers, he coached NWSL Best XI Player Sydney Leroux and Second XI Player Lianne Sanderson. The 2013 season saw Boston’s best finish in the NWSL and best record to date.

Hamilton joined the University of Florida in 2013 where he helped the Gators to a SEC regular season championship and a NCAA Tournament second-round appearance. While in Gainesville, he created and implemented a curriculum for UF’s goalkeepers, while overseeing the team’s defense that set program records in shutouts (13) and goals against average (0.61).

Along with his responsibilities at ECU, he has served as a head coach for US Youth Soccer Region III Olympic Development program. There he works with the oldest age group of players from the region, selecting a team to compete in the US Youth Soccer inter-regional tournament as well as travelling out of the country for competition.

As a player, Hamilton was a midfielder for Macomb College in Clinton Charter Township, Mich. The team advanced to the 2000 NJCAA Final Four with Hamilton earning a spot on the NJCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team. He was also an All-Conference First Team and All-Region Team selection.

Hamilton transferred to the University of Detroit Mercy and played goalkeeper during his sophomore and junior seasons. As a senior, Hamilton moved back onto the field and was a captain.

After graduation, Hamilton spent three seasons with the Windsor Border Stars in the Canadian Professional Soccer League and one in the American Indoor Soccer League, capturing two Canada Cup titles and one AISL title.

Hamilton earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Detroit Mercy in 2005. He also has several diplomas and licenses from the NSCAA, the United States Soccer Federation and the United States Sports Academy.

A native of St. Clair Shores, Mich., Hamilton is married to the former Hannah Mason - a graduate of East Carolina University and native of Laurinburg, N.C. They have one son, Robert “James” and one daughter, Ann Marie. The family resides in Greenville.