Former Yellowjacket Standout Hired as Men’s Basketball Assistant (August 25, 2003)

BILLINGS, MT – MSU Billings men’s basketball coach Craig Carse announced Monday that former Yellowjacket standout Mark Hamilton has been hired as the Jackets’ new assistant coach.  Hamilton takes over for Brent Montague, who resigned in July to take a position off campus.  Along with his coaching duties, Hamilton will also be the school’s compliance coordinator.

“I can’t think of anyone better to replace Brent Montague than Mark,” said Carse.  “He was one of the most productive players to ever be a part of our program.”

The Columbus, Montana, native played at MSU Billings from 1994-1998, helping the Yellowjackets win two Pacific West Conference championships and earn three NCAA Tournament berths.  He was the captain of the 1998 team that captured the PacWest title.

“I came back to MSU Billings to be part of a program that focuses on improving someone’s basketball skills as well as their life skills and character,” said Hamilton.  “Coach Carse’s program teaches people to be accountable for their actions.  The biggest things I took away from playing here were the relationships with my teammates.  I’m still good friends with five of the guys I played with, and we still keep in touch.  This program deals with camaraderie to the fullest and that means a lot.”

Hamilton was a two-sport star at Columbus High School, quarterbacking the Cougars to the
State B football championship in 1992 and a runner-up finish in 1993.  After leading the Columbus basketball team to runner-up finishes in the 1993 and 1994 state tournaments, Hamilton signed to play for MSU Billings where he went on to become one of the school’s all-time leading scorers.

Hamilton played in 110 games as a Yellowjacket, scoring 1,463 points and making 286 three-pointers.  He’s still No. 7 on MSUB’s all-time scoring list and No. 2 for three-pointers made in a career.  Hamilton is also in the Yellowjacket career record book for points per game (10^th at 17.9), field goals made (6^th with 496), and three-point percentage (4^th at 42.56).  In 1996-97, he made 115 three-pointers (fourth-best for a single season in school history), shooting 44.7 percent from behind the arc (the school’s sixth-best single season performance).  He followed that with 113 three-pointers in 1997-98 (fifth-highest single season total).

Hamilton spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the Billings Rimrockers while finishing his degree in education at MSU Billings.  After graduating in 2000, he became the head boys’ basketball coach at Meeteetse High School in Wyoming.  He spent one year at Meeteetse before being hired to head the boys’ basketball program at Worland High School, where he coached last season.  Hamilton and his wife Julie plan to move to Billings as soon as possible as he will begin work immediately.