By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
CJ Hamilton is being given one of the highest honors a Kansas high school coach can receive. But rather than take credit for the accomplishment, he quickly deflects recognition to the community he represents.
Silver Lake coaching legend CJ Hamilton will be inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame on July 25. [Photo by Brent Maycock/KSHSAA Covered]
Hamilton coached the Silver Lake football team to unmatched success, and for his 47 years on the Eagle sideline, Hamilton has been voted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. But, as he puts it, he represents all the athletes, parents, coaches, administrators and community members who supported him.
“I’m just so appreciative of all the people who helped to make this possible,” Hamilton said. “It was a great honor to represent the community of Silver Lake and I wouldn’t have done what I did without all the people along the way. Silver Lake is a community that understands what it takes to have great accomplishments and is invested in helping their students do their very best.”
At a ceremony at the Kansas Star Casino on July 25, Hamilton will join the most decorated coaches in state history in the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. Finding his name among the likes of Phog Allen, James Naismith, Adolph Rupp, Dean Smith, Bill Snyder, and Gene Mauch is heady stuff.
“To be put in the category with all the great coaches in the state is just a great honor,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton’s resume is unmatched. He retired in 2021 with a football coaching record of 447-98. No coach in Kansas history has approached the 400-win mark. He led the Eagles to 39 league titles, 40 playoff appearances and 18 appearances in the state championship game, winning eight – the most titles by any coach in Kansas history.
As if that wasn’t enough, he led the Eagles to three baseball state championships.
Other than coaching two years collegiately on the staff at Washburn in 1977-78, his entire career was spent at Silver Lake, the high school from which he graduated in 1969. His impact on the school continues, as his sons, Travis and Trevor, have also coached at Silver Lake.
Hamilton has received a number of awards and honors over the years. He is appreciative of the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame for recognizing his half-century of work developing young athletes.
“I think Kansas is a very diverse state in terms of athletic accomplishments. There are so many people in the hall of fame who have done great things, won state championships and had great programs,” Hamilton said. “It’s a real honor to be included in that.”
This year, the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame is inducting 32 new members at three separate ceremonies. Hamilton and nine others will be honored at the Kansas Star Casino near Wichita. Information about the ceremonies is available online at www.kshof.org.
