Although Joe Hamilton was a football star at
both Beaver Area High School and Geneva College, he is best known
for his success as a grid coach at five high schools, including
Blackhawk where he started head coaching in 1976. Joe played
linebacker and guard in high school and college and was a two year
letterman at Beaver (graduating in 1959) and a four year letterman at
Geneva, where he earned All State honors and Little All American
honorable mention. He played in the Gem Bowl at Erie to climax
his collegiate career. Joe started his coaching career as an
assistant at Beaver from 1963 to 1965, when strong Bobcat teams
piled up a 27-3 record. He then served as head football coach at
Midland High in 1966 and 1967, leading the Leopards to a 12-5-2
record. Midland won the MAC title in 1966 and Joe was named
Coach of the Year. During his seven seasons at New Brighton High
School, Joe’s Lions had a 46-18-1 record and were MAC champions
and WPIAL runners-up in 1969, when Joe earned MAC Coach of the
Year honors. Joe’s only coaching stint outside of Beaver County
came in 1975 when his Hempfield High team had a 4-4-1 record. Joe
started his long coaching tenure at Blackhawk in 1976 with his teams
compiling an 84-57-5 record. His Cougars won MAC Class AAA titles in
1978 and 1978, were WPIAL runners-up in 1978, and reached the
playoff quarterfinals in 1979; they lost the 1988 WPIAL Class AAA
championship game to Aliquippa. Joe was MAC Coach of the Year
in 1979 and in the Parkway Conference Coach of the Year in 1984. The Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette named him a Coach of the Year in 1978, and he was head
coach in the 1979 Big 33 All Star Game and in the 1980 Penn-Ohio
Game.
Although Joe Hamilton was a football star at
both Beaver Area High School and Geneva College, he is best known
for his success as a grid coach at five high schools, including
Blackhawk where he started head coaching in 1976. Joe played
linebacker and guard in high school and college and was a two year
letterman at Beaver (graduating in 1959) and a four year letterman at
Geneva, where he earned All State honors and Little All American
honorable mention. He played in the Gem Bowl at Erie to climax
his collegiate career. Joe started his coaching career as an
assistant at Beaver from 1963 to 1965, when strong Bobcat teams
piled up a 27-3 record. He then served as head football coach at
Midland High in 1966 and 1967, leading the Leopards to a 12-5-2
record. Midland won the MAC title in 1966 and Joe was named
Coach of the Year. During his seven seasons at New Brighton High
School, Joe’s Lions had a 46-18-1 record and were MAC champions
and WPIAL runners-up in 1969, when Joe earned MAC Coach of the
Year honors. Joe’s only coaching stint outside of Beaver County
came in 1975 when his Hempfield High team had a 4-4-1 record. Joe
started his long coaching tenure at Blackhawk in 1976 with his teams
compiling an 84-57-5 record. His Cougars won MAC Class AAA titles in
1978 and 1978, were WPIAL runners-up in 1978, and reached the
playoff quarterfinals in 1979; they lost the 1988 WPIAL Class AAA
championship game to Aliquippa. Joe was MAC Coach of the Year
in 1979 and in the Parkway Conference Coach of the Year in 1984. The Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette named him a Coach of the Year in 1978, and he was head
coach in the 1979 Big 33 All Star Game and in the 1980 Penn-Ohio
Game.