Hamilton Named Head Coach at South Alabama

June 21, 2016

MOBILE, Ala. — South Carolina’s Alex Hamilton has been named the head coach at the University of South Alabama, it was announced today. Hamilton leaves South Carolina after a three-year run as an assistant coach helping to guide one of the top men’s golf programs in the nation.

“South Alabama is getting a great coach,” South Carolina head coach Bill McDonald said. “Alex has done a tremendous job for Carolina Golf the past three years, and he has been a pleasure to work with every day. Everyone associated with South Carolina Athletics is thrilled for Alex and Kristin, and we all wish them the best in Mobile.”

Hamilton has been an assistant coach with the Gamecocks for the past three seasons, which collectively rank as one of the best stretches in the history of the program. South Carolina qualified for the NCAA Championship in each of the past three years and finished seventh in the stroke play portion of the 2016 Championship, a new program record. The Gamecocks advanced to match play at the NCAA Championship for the first time last season and won four team tournaments, while graduated senior Matt NeSmith earned the program’s first First-Team All-America honor. Fellow senior Will Starke placed T-13th individually at NCAAs, and South Carolina finished the season ranked 10th in the Golfstat National Rankings.

In 2014-15, Hamilton’s second season, the Gamecocks won five events, a school record. South Carolina was the top seed at the NCAA Bremerton Regional and finished No. 6 in the final Golfstat National Rankings. NeSmith and Starke were each honored as All-Americans, with NeSmith becoming just the second Gamecock to win SEC Championship medalist honors.

Hamilton’s first season, 2013-14, ended with the Gamecocks finishing ninth at the NCAA Championship. South Carolina won three tournaments, and Will Murphy finished 15th at the NCAA Championship individually.

A four-year letterwinner for the Gamecocks (2001-05), Hamilton was a Second-Team All-SEC selection in 2004, when he tied for fifth at the SEC Championship. He also was a two-time Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar. After graduating from South Carolina in 2005 with a bachelor’s degrees in economics and real estate, Hamilton spent seven years playing in the professional ranks, competing on the eGolf Professional Tour, the NGA Hooters Tour, the Nationwide Tour and the PGA Tour.

The Gamecocks have begun a national search for Hamilton’s replacement.