Sheridan College interim men’s basketball coach Matt Hammer has been promoted to full-time head coach, college officials announced Monday.

Hammer, who became the interim coach in August, has the Generals at 16-10 this season.

“After an extensive, nationwide search, we are excited to announce that coach Hammer is the right person to lead the Generals,” Sheridan College President Dr. Paul Young said. “Excellence has long defined our athletics programs. Coach Hammer has shown the integrity, ability and acumen to uphold that tradition and succeed as a coach and mentor to our student-athletes. He has the college’s full support.”

Hammer joined the Generals as an assistant coach last spring, following two years as an assistant coach at Saginaw Valley State in Michigan.

Hammer played professionally in Iceland for one season before accepting a coaching position at Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota, where he had played under legendary head coach Don Meyer.

Hammer also coached at Aberdeen Central High School in South Dakota. He was named South Dakota’s “Mr. Basketball” in 2002, while attending Elkton High School in the eastern side of the state.

Hammer holds a bachelor’s in health and physical education and a master’s in health, physical education and coaching from Northern State. Hammer’s current assistant coaches include Tom Parks and Cody Ball.

“I am honored to be named the head coach at Sheridan College,” Hammer said in a press release. “This is a special place that is very rich in tradition, and I’m extremely excited to be given the opportunity to lead the men’s basketball program into the future. I want to thank Dr. Paul Young and Dr. Mark Englert for allowing our coaching staff the chance to continue to build upon the success and tradition here at Sheridan College.”

– See more at: http://thesheridanpress.com/?p=30958…#sthash.OHqqnkkK.dpuf

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