Hamilton to Coach Basketball at Servite

Scott Hamilton has been hired as the basketball coach at Servite High School, Principal Raymond Dunne announced Thursday.

Hamilton, 29, has been an assistant varsity coach at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame the past six seasons. Before that, he was at Burbank Bell-Jeff for four years, three as a boys’ assistant and one as a girls’ assistant.

“He comes from a parochial school background at Notre Dame,” Athletic Director Tom Vitello said. “We certainly liked how Notre Dame played against us, having beaten us once. Scott was also highly recommended to us, not only by college coaches.”

Hamilton replaces Richard Smith, who resigned after coaching three years at Servite. He left a program that has been one of the most successful in Orange County the past three seasons.

Under Smith, the Friars were 61-30. They won the State Division III championship in 1990 and the Southern Section III-A title in 1991.

Servite was 16-12 and reached the semifinals of the III-A playoffs last season.

“Basketball in Orange County is tough and that excites me,” Hamilton said. “I want to coach where it’s competitive. That way, if you’re successful, it means a lot.”

Hamilton attended Burbank Providence High School and Cal State Northridge, where he graduated in 1988. He said he has been coaching basketball since leaving high school, first with youth teams, then at the high school level.

He was a math teacher at Notre Dame and will teach math at Servite.