EDINBORO, Pa. (Aug. 2, 2013) – Edinboro University Director of Athletics Bruce Baumgartner today announced the appointment of Rick Hammer as men's and women's cross country coach/assistant track & field coach. Hammer, along with Anne Carlson, will replace long-time head coach Doug Watts. Watts, who was head coach of both the cross country and track & field programs during a tenure of 44 years at Edinboro, announced his retirement in April. Carlson was named Edinboro's head track & field coach/director of cross country operations after serving as Watts' assistant for two years.
"I am really excited about the addition of Rick (Hammer) to our coaching staff," related Baumgartner. "I commend the selection committee on putting in a lot of hard work to narrow it down to the best candidate for our program. As you would expect, there was a great deal of interest, with over 100 applicants.
"I think we have a combination in Rick and Anne Carlson that will keep the Edinboro running programs among the best in the country," Baumgartner continued. "I can tell you that is our goal. Obviously, they have their work cut out for them in replacing a legendary coach in Doug Watts. In all fairness, we will never be able to replace what Doug did for the University. I have been in that position of following a legend. It isn't easy. But I think we have the right people to get the job done, and I know they will have Doug's full support. I'm excited for the future."
Hammer joins the Edinboro coaching staff after serving as the assistant cross country/track & field coach at Lewis University for the last four years. Hammer mentored the distance runners to 40 (plus) All-GLVC, along with guiding four student-athletes to qualifying marks for the USATF Junior Nationals. He coached 12 national qualifiers, nine All-Americans, 10 GLVC champions, and two GLVC Freshmen of the Year. In addition, the Flyers won the 2010 and 2011 GLVC Indoor Women's Track team championships.
He made an immediate impact on both the cross country and track & field programs, as Kathryn Hague posted back-to-back All-American finishes in cross country in 2009 and '10, Lewis' first cross country All-American since 1997.
"I am excited to become a part of the Fighting Scots' distance tradition," stated Hammer. "Edinboro is on the short list of teams that have won DII cross country national titles in the last 30 years and they are consistently finishing on or near the podium at nationals. Coach Watts has built quite a legacy and had the kind of career that everyone dreams of having over the past 44 years. He has made the Fighting Scots consistently competitive on the conference, regional, and national level, winning many team and individual titles for Edinboro University. I am thankful that he is willing to continue to volunteer with the program and mentor me in the Edinboro way as I try to follow in his footsteps. They are some awfully big shoes to fill!
"I am thankful for the opportunity to come to Edinboro and work for an athletic department that truly values cross country and track," he continued. "Both Bruce Baumgartner and Todd Jay have stressed that having a national caliber cross country team is an important part of the Edinboro Athletic Department's goals. I am really going to enjoy working with Coach Watts, Coach Carlson, and an administration that is supportive of cross country and track in the coming years."
Carlson is looking forward working with Hammer to keep Edinboro among the elite of Division II programs. "I'm very excited to be adding Rick Hanmer to our coaching staff," she commented. "Rick's energy and knowledge of the sports of cross country and track and field will be a huge asset to our programs.
"Our cross country teams are coming off a very successful 2012 season and are both returning veteran teams. I feel Rick is ready to step in and continue the Edinboro tradition with these teams."
Prior to his stint at Lewis, Hammer spent three years (2006-09) as the assistant cross country/track & field coach at Division III Manchester College (Ind.), where he coached seven national qualifiers, two All-Americans and one national champion during his tenure. He helped the Spartans to the 2009 HCAC women's track & field team title, and the 2009 men's track team was 14th in the nation.
All told, 11 different school records were broken and 186 spots were claimed on the Manchester track & field top 10 performance list.
Hammer began his coaching career as an assistant track & field coach at IPFW in 2005, the moved on to assistant cross country/track & field position at Tri-State University the next year.
Hammer is a USATF Level I Certified Track & Field Coach and has a Level II certification in the endurance events from both the USATF and USTFCCCA. He had served as the GLVC representative to the USTFCCCA Cross County Committee the last two years.
A December 2004 graduate of Huntington College (Ind.) with a bachelor's degree in Business Management/Economics, Hammer was a two-time captain, national qualifier and Academic All-American. The Plainfield, Ill. resident received his master's degree in Physical Education – Coaching Emphasis from Ball State in 2009. He has been working on a master's degree in Business Administration from Lewis.
