After nearly 40 years of coaching, including the past 13 at Aquinas College, head men’s basketball coach Dave Hammer has announced his retirement, effective September 30. Hammer leaves Aquinas as the school’s all-time leader in men’s basketball coaching wins with 246.
Coach Hammer is stepping away from the bench due to recurring health issues in recent years. During the 2014-15 season, Coach Hammer was forced to miss 15 games because of health related reasons. Aquinas Athletic Director Nick Davidson has named assistant coach Ryan Bertoia as interim head coach for the 2016-17 season. The head men’s basketball coaching position will be posted in March of 2017 upon completion of the season.
“I want to thank the college for the opportunities it gave me. I’m fortunate to have had so many great seasons as a Saint,” said Hammer in a press release. “My favorite part of coaching is my time with the players and that will be the toughest thing to give up.”
Arriving in Grand Rapids in 2003, Coach Hammer has led the Saints men’s basketball program for the past 13 seasons. He leaves as the program’s all-time leader in games coached and games won, and is second in career winning percentage. He guided the Saints to three WHAC regular-season titles and two WHAC tournament titles, and his squads earned four trips to the NAIA National Tournament. Coach Hammer was honored as the 2006-07 Basketball Coaches of Michigan (BCAM) College Coach of the Year, and coached Gold Medal 17U teams in 2009 and 2010 at United World Games in Austria. He is the fastest coach in school history to 100 career wins, and earned three WHAC Coach of the Year Awards. Coach Hammer and his 2005-06 team will be inducted into the Aquinas Athletic Hall of Fame this fall.
“Coach Hammer has had a tremendous career here at Aquinas and has been a great representative of the values of the college and our athletic program,” said Davidson in the release. “While it’s difficult to see him go, we support his tough personal decision and know that he’ll always be a Saint.”
Hammer took over the men’s basketball program in 2003 after a long and successful career in both the high school and collegiate ranks. Coach Hammer started his career as an assistant at Delta College (Mich.) in 1978. Coach Hammer spent six seasons at Delta before moving on to the University of Michigan. Hammer helped the Wolverines to 100 wins and four NCAA Tournament appearances in his four years as an assistant coach in Ann Arbor. After a year at Hardin-Simmons University, Coach Hammer headed to Southern Methodist University, where he helped turn the Mustangs from a below-average team into conference champs.
Hammer returned to the state of Michigan to serve as athletic director and head boys’ basketball coach at Coldwater High School in 1997. He spent five years with the Cardinals and helped them set a school record with 24 wins in 1999. That same year he guided the team to a Class B semi-final berth and earned Class B Coach of the Year honors.