Edgar finally lands Hamilton - as a coach

~ The new Southeast assistant eluded Edgar as a high school recruit.

Southeast Missouri State men's basketball coach Scott Edgar has filled out his staff by hiring somebody he once recruited.

Rodney Hamilton will join the Redhawks after serving the past two seasons as an assistant at Crichton College, an NAIA program in his hometown of Memphis, Tenn.

Hamilton, a former head coach at Westside High School in Memphis, was the associate head coach last season for a Crichton team that went 28-8 and lost in the NAIA national quarterfinals.

Hamilton, as a prep star in Memphis, was recruited by Edgar when he was the coach at Murray State. Hamilton instead went to Georgia State, where he became one of that school's all-time best players.

"I've known Rodney Hamilton since he was playing at Whitehaven High School in Memphis and I've always been impressed with his enthusiasm and character," Edgar said in a release. "He was the all-time assist leader as a collegiate player at Georgia State and should really be able to help our backcourt players.

"He has been successful as a head coach at Westside High School in Memphis and as an assistant at Crichton College. He will be a solid recruiter for us in the mid-South area."

Hamilton played four seasons at Georgia State, where he was the first player in school history to have his jersey retired. He then played three years of professional basketball in Sweden, Switzerland and Hungary before entering the coaching ranks in 2001.

Hamilton joins Zac Roman, who was hired last week, as Southeast's two new assistant coaches.

Roman spent the past five seasons at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kan.

"Hamilton and Zac Roman were the two coaches we wanted to add to our staff and we've been able to hire both coaches," Edgar said.

The Redhawks' lone holdover assistant coach will be chief recruiter Ronnie Dean, who has been at Southeast the past three seasons.