Tom Hamilton (American football)
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Hamilton from 1956 Owl (Pittsburgh yearbook)
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| Sport(s) | Football |
|---|---|
| Biographical details | |
| Born |
December 26, 1905 Hoopeston, Illinois |
| Died | April 3, 1994 (aged 88) Chula Vista, California |
| Playing career | |
| 1924–1926 | Navy |
| Position(s) | Halfback |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1934–1936 | Navy |
| 1946–1947 | Navy |
| 1951 | Pittsburgh |
| 1954 | Pittsburgh |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1948–1949 | Navy |
| 1949–1959 | Pittsburgh |
| 1959–1971 | AAWU/Pac-8 (commissioner) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 28–32–1 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
|
Corbett Award (1971) ECAC James Lynah Award (1971) National Football Foundation Gold Medal (1971) Theodore Roosevelt Award (1976) Amos Alonzo Stagg Award (1978) |
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College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 1965 (profile) |
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| Military career | |
|---|---|
| Allegiance |
 United States
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| Service/ |
Navy |
| Rank | Rear admiral |
| Unit | USS Enterprise |
| Commands held | Commander of USS Enterprise, July 10, 1944–July 29, 1944 |
| Battles/wars | Battle of Leyte Gulf, Battle of Iwo Jima |
Thomas James "Tom" Hamilton (December 26, 1905 – April 3, 1994) was an American football player, coach, college athletics administrator, and naval aviator who rose to the rank of rear admiral in the United States Navy. He served as the head football coach at the United States Naval Academy from 1934 to 1936 and again from 1946 to 1947 and at the University of Pittsburgh in 1951 and 1954, compiling a career college football record of 28–32–1. Hamilton was also the athletic director at the Naval Academy from 1948 to 1948 and at Pittsburgh from 1949 to 1959. From 1959 to 1971, he was the commissioner of the Athletic Association of Western Universities, renamed the Pacific-8 Conference in 1968 and now known as the Pac-12 Conference. Hamilton was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1965.
Hamilton was born in Hoopeston, Illinois and attended high school in Columbus and Granville, Ohio. Hamilton attended the United States Naval Academy, graduating in 1927. He was a key player on the 1926 Navy football squad that won a national championship with a 9–0–1 record. The single blemish on that season was a tie with Army a game which has been described as "one of the greatest football games ever played." He was also elected as class president during his time at the academy.
Following graduation from Annapolis and commissioning as an ensign, Hamilton served the required period in surface ships before applying for flight training. He received his wings of gold and flew a variety of aircraft, including patrol planes from San Diego in 1938 and 1939. During the war he served ashore and afloat, primarily in aviation training and aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. He was the "Big E's" flight deck officer and executive officer in 1943 and 1944, commanding the legendary ship during a brief refit in 1944.
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