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NC State

NC State men's basketball adds Vernon Hamilton has assistant coach

image_6483441 (3)by: Noah Fleischman04/02/25fleischman_noah
Vernon Hamilton
Mar, 8, 2007, Tampa, FL, Clemson Tigers (3) Vernon Hamilton drives to the basket as Florida State Seminoles (25) Jason Rich defends in the first half of the first round of the ACC Tournament at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Copyright © 2007 Bob Donnan

NC State coach Will Wade continues to build his coaching staff. The latest addition? McNeese assistant Vernon Hamilton, a former Clemson standout during his playing career.

“He has a relentless motor and a great ability to connect with players,” Wade said of Hamilton. “He does a tremendous job developing players both on and off the court and is a great addition to our program.”

Hamilton joins former Nebraska assistant Adam Howard and former McNeese assistant Brandon Chambers on the Wolfpack’s coaching staff. Wade has two more on-court assistant positions open ahead of his first season in Raleigh.

Clemson’s all-time steals leader, Hamilton returns to the ACC for the first time in a full-time role. Hamilton met Wade during his playing days with the Tigers while the Pack’s current head coach was a student manager and graduate assistant. That connection led to Hamilton serving as LSU’s Director of Player Development for two years, while he was on McNeese’s staff as an assistant for the last two seasons.

In addition to Hamilton’s time with Wade, where he was key in mentoring Southland Conference Players of the Year Shahada Wells and Javohn Garcia. He was also pivotal in helping Christian Shumate, who was a two-time Defensive Player of the Year in the Southland Conference.

Before Hamilton reconnected with Wade at McNeese, he spent a season as Georgetown’s Director of Player Development under Patrick Ewing. Hamilton also has experience as an assistant coach in the South Korean Basketball League, while he was a member of the Dallas Mavericks Player Development staff in the 2017-18 season.

As a player, Hamilton was a four-year starter at Clemson. He posted 271 career steals, which were the sixth-most in ACC history upon his departure from the Tigers. The 2007 graduate is ninth in Clemson’s history with 403 assists and posted more than 1,200 points during his college career.

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