Hamilton resigns – WCHS coach steps down 5 games into season

Hamilton, who just began his fifth season at the helm of the Lady Pioneers, stepped down Thursday, one day after the team lost to Cookeville in a 7-1 district contest.

‘This was his decision, it did not come from us,’ said WCHS athletic director Andy Jacobs, who contact the Standard sports department Thursday afternoon. ‘He felt like he couldn’t do anything right, and the job just wasn’t fun anymore.

‘He said for the last year he’s felt like a lightning rod, taking the blame for everything that has gone wrong with the team, so he decided to step down effective (Thursday).’

Members of the team were told of the coaching change while at school on Thursday, but whether or not the team would hold its normal afternoon practice was not immediately known.

Hamilton was originally hired for the Lady Pioneer coaching job, and coached both boys and girls soccer teams for a brief stint during his career at WCHS.

‘I appreciate the opportunity that was given to me to be the coach and I wish the best for the team and the school,’ Hamilton said in a statement to the Standard Thursday afternoon.

‘I preached to the girls that you can always find an excuse for failing, but the people who are successful will find a way to overcome their obstacles and not let them become an excuse. If I am the cause for the failings of the soccer team, then I know how to fix that problem. So, I have removed myself from being the excuse for failure.’

The Lady Pioneers dropped to 1-3-1 after Wednesday’s loss, and have 10 games left on their 2007 schedule. Boys’ head coach Matt Jackson will reportedly finish the year with the girls’ team as its interim head coach.