A.W. Hamilton turned around EKU basketball. Now he’s being rewarded.

Eastern Kentucky University men’s basketball coach A.W. Hamilton will move his team into a new conference in 2021-22 with a new contract in his pocket.

Hamilton, who just completed his third season at EKU by leading the Colonels to a 22-7 record, received a contract extension through the 2024-25 season on Wednesday.

“Since arriving at EKU, A.W. has experienced success in every way: in competition and raising the profile of our program; in the academic success and experience of our men’s basketball student-athletes; by increasing interest in Colonel basketball with future recruits and among our fan base; and by becoming a campus and community leader,” EKU Director of Athletics Matt Roan said in a news release.

Hamilton, a Kentucky native who was an all-state high school basketball star at Scott County before playing collegiately at Wake Forest and Marshall, was an assistant coach at North Carolina State when EKU hired him as a first-time college head coach in 2018.

Hamilton, who led one of the nation’s top prep programs at Hargrave Military before moving into the college ranks, took over an Eastern Kentucky program that had suffered through three straight losing seasons under previous head coach Dan McHale.

Hamilton’s Colonels have steadily improved each of his three seasons, going 13-18 in 2018-19 and 16-17 in 2019-20 before this past season’s breakout. EKU has also gradually became more competitive in the Ohio Valley Conference, going 6-12, 12-6 and 15-5. The Colonels finished third in the OVC in 2020-21 and advanced to the semifinals of the league tournament.

Eastern Kentucky is moving from the OVC to the Atlantic Sun Conference before next season.

“As we transition into the ASUN, we want to ensure that Coach Hamilton is leading our program,” Roan’s statement said. “He shares in our vision and trusts the plan of our leadership team to provide the proper tools for the program as we strive to become a premier mid-major basketball program that competes for championships on an annual basis.”

Hamilton was named OVC Coach of the Year in 2019-20 and was a finalist this past season for the Hugh Durham Coach of the Year Award, given annually to the top mid-major coach.

“There isn’t a better place to be the head coach than at Eastern Kentucky University,” Hamilton said.

Like many schools, Hamilton is overseeing a roster reconstruction this offseason spurred by the NCAA transfer portal. Starters Tre King (Georgetown) and Wendell Green (Auburn) have moved on to the Big East and Southeastern Conference, respectively.

Meanwhile, EKU has brought in four transfers — Iran Bennett and Jannson Williams from Marshall, Trevin Wade from Wichita State and Braxton Beverly from North Carolina State.

Upon agreeing to the contract extension, Hamilton said he expects continued success.

“Heading into year four with our style and brand planted firmly here in Richmond, we look to capitalize on the momentum we have created and continue to represent EKU the right way on and off the floor.”