Tennessee Athletics Mourns the Loss of Former AD Mike Hamilton

Former University of Tennessee Athletics Director and longtime administrator Mike Hamilton died Friday at the age of 60.

During his tenure at the helm of the Volunteers athletic program, Mike Hamilton's leadership exemplified the "ideal of service" captured by the university's revered Torchbearer Statue.

"It's a sad day for everyone here on Rocky Top with the loss of Mike Hamilton," said Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White. "Everyone who was fortunate to spend time with Mike knew how special the University of Tennessee was to him. He will be sorely missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with Mike's family and loved ones."

He was appointed to the position of director of athletics in 2003—replacing retiring mentor Doug Dickey. While Tennessee athletics continued to shine brightly as a national standard of intercollegiate achievement, Hamilton assured that the athletic department's impact reached far beyond the fields of competition.

After eight years in the athletic director's chair, Hamilton resigned on June 7, 2011.

Success on a national level had long been a staple of Tennessee athletics, and under Hamilton's watch, that trend continued. The Vols placed in the top 16 in the NACDA Directors' Cup six times during his eight-year tenure as AD, including two top-10 finishes.

The men's basketball program ascended to new heights under Hamilton's leadership and reached the NCAA Elite Eight in 2010—the program's most successful season on record. The basketball program also won the 2008 SEC Championship and achieved the program's first-ever No. 1 national ranking that same year. Additionally, men's tennis played for the national championship and finished second in the nation in 2010.

Operating as the CEO of an organization with a $100-million-plus annual budget, Volunteer success during Hamilton's watch was not limited to the athletic and academic arenas, as fundraising success was also remarkable. Donations to UT athletics totaled $4 million when he arrived on Rocky Top in 1992. By the time he assumed the director of athletics position in 2003, that total had increased nearly 500 percent ($19.5 million). By 2011, athletics development fundraising efforts had risen to $45.2 million, more than double when Hamilton assumed the AD post.

Hamilton, who grew up in Brevard, N.C., served as assistant director of the Deacon Club at Wake Forest University before joining the Vols staff in 1992. He earlier had served as a graduate assistant in fundraising at his alma mater, Clemson University.

Also a beacon in local and regional charity efforts, along with his wife, Beth, Hamilton served as the chairman of the Knoxville Chamber Partnership and chaired the United Way Campaign. The Hamiltons worked diligently to raise more than $550,000 for local adoption agencies and $300,000 to support charitable work in Africa through their Kalu Grace Foundation.
Hamilton served as a board member of the Blood: Water Mission and the Both Ends Burning campaign and was also involved with the Crohn's/Colitis Foundation of America, Fellowship Church, Smoky Mountain Area Rescue Ministries, Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame and Adoption Advocates initiatives.

Hamilton leaves behind his wife Beth, three sons, Matthew, Nate, and Kiya, and two daughters, Madison and Kalu.

University of Tennessee Athletics

Tennessee Athletics Mourns the Loss of Former AD Mike Hamilton

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