Battery Creek coach is back where he left his heart 14 years ago

Fred Hamilton wasted no time putting the furniture in his office back to the way he had it before. Now if he could just do something about the paint scheme.

“I’m not really excited about the way it looks right now,” Battery Creek’s once-and-again football coach said Wednesday. “I think it’s supposed to be gold, but it looks yellow. I want to paint it the same color as our uniforms — blue, white, gold.”

All in good time, presumably, though time is the one thing Hamilton has little of as he embarks on his second chapter as the Dolphins’ coach, 14 years after the first came to a somewhat reluctant close.

Hamilton, 57, officially returned to the job this week after the last of his paperwork formalities were completed. In reality, he’d already been laying the groundwork for a few weeks while orchestrating his move back from Colleton County High.

Even so, the Dolphins went through spring drills without the typical breaking-in opportunity that comes with a new coach. Less than four weeks remain before fall camp begins.

“I feel like I’m in a 100-meter sprint — and they popped the gun and told me I couldn’t start for three or four seconds,” said Hamilton, who also coached track at Battery Creek, along with stints at Fort Dorchester and Colleton County.

“We’re behind, no question about that. But I gladly accept that challenge. We’re going to work like crazy to try to catch up.”

Battery Creek was Hamilton’s first head-coaching job in 1999, taking the reins after an assistant’s path that began at Porter-Gaud Academy to James Island and into the college ranks at The Citadel, Wofford, North Charleston, Charleston Southern and East Tennessee State.

He compiled a 20-28 record in four years, bouncing back from a winless season in 2000 to make the playoffs each of the next two years. The Dolphins scored their first playoff victory in 2001, going on the road to beat an Aiken team that had played in the Class 4A title game each of the previous two years.

“We held our own back then,” Hamilton recalled. “We beat Summerville, beat an undefeated Berkeley team that was in the top six in the state. We beat Wando, beat Fort Dorchester. We had some good wins against good teams.”

It came to an end, though, when Hamilton departed Battery Creek to become coach at West Ashley. Though the job was widely considered a step up, Hamilton noted Wednesday that family considerations were the real catalyst.

Hamilton’s mother had just died of ovarian cancer and his father, Rusty, was having a difficult time.

“I felt like he needed me at that time to come home to Charleston,” Hamilton said. “That’s what led me to leave Battery Creek, not because I felt I was going to a better place. I was very happy at Battery Creek before.”

It’s a similar tale as that of Hamilton’s predecessor, Jim Shuman, who unexpectedly resigned in March to devote more time to his aging parents.

“I certainly can relate,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton coached four seasons at West Ashley before returning to the assistant ranks, spending five years as Fort Dorchester’s defensive coordinator and four more in the same role at Colleton County.

Even with the later moves, he said, he’d diligently pick up the Beaufort Gazette during football season to read up on how his former school was doing. And when the Dolphins’ job opened up again in March, he wasted no time throwing his name into consideration.

“I did want this job worse than any job I’ve ever wanted in my life,” Hamilton acknowledged.

“I’ve coached a lot of places, some really good places. I’ve worked under the winningest coach in Wofford history (Mike Ayers), the winningest coach in Citadel history (Charlie Taaffe). But this was a great opportunity to come back where I left part of my heart.”

He vows there will be no repeat of his hesitant departure 14 years ago.

“I’m not planning on going anyplace else,” Hamilton said. “This will be the final stop for me, as long as they want me around here.”

This story was originally published July 6, 2016 at 9:18 PM with the headline "Battery Creek coach is back where he left his heart 14 years ago."