The End of an Era - Dennis Hamilton Retiring After 30 Years at Red Demon Basketball

Aug 27, 2026

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Announcement details Dennis Hamilton’s retirement from Dodge City High School after three decades leading the Red Demon boys basketball program and serving as a PE teacher and head coach. It recounts his hiring in 1987, team successes including multiple State tournament appearances, WAC championships, and a record far ahead of the program’s prior leaders. The release highlights character-building coaching philosophy, family involvement, and the next steps for hiring a certified teacher to continue the tradition. Quotes from the AD, principal, and Hamilton underscore his impact on athletics and academics, including Adaptive PE.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLifestyle

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Retirement Announcement

Coaching Career Highlights

Coaching Philosophy and Community Impact

Family and Next Steps

The End of an Era Dennis Hamilton retiring after 30 years at the helm of Red Demon Basketball After thirty years of teaching and coaching basketball at Dodge City High School, Dennis Hamilton is retiring. Hamilton is stepping aside from his duties as both a PE Teacher and Head Basketball Coach at the end of the current school year. He will do so as the winningest Head Basketball coach in the 112 year history of Red Demon basketball. J.C. Riekenberg hired Dennis Hamilton as the Head Boys Basketball Coach in the summer of 1987. Hamilton, a 1976 graduate of DCHS, was the head coach at Bishop Kelley High School in Tulsa, OK before returning to his alma mater. His first team at Dodge City finished (19-4), complete with a WAC Championship and the first trip to State for the Red Demons in seven years. Hamilton would lead the Red Demons to (13) State Basketball Tournaments over the course of his career at DCHS. He would also coach his teams to (8) WAC titles, including four in a row from 2010-2013. His career record at DCHS was (418-251)– 258 more wins than second place on the list, Laurence Stanton. At the 2004 6A State Tournament in Emporia, the Red Demons played for a State Title versus Olathe South – finishing the season as State Runner-Ups with a record of (22-3) . The Red Demons reached the Final Four of the State Tournament six times with Hamilton as the Head Coach, an accomplishment the program had only reached twice before 1987. Dennis Hamilton will forever be respected for his accomplishments as the leader of the Red Demon Basketball program. However, his influence at Dodge High cannot be measured just in wins and titles. Coach Hamilton’s success and longevity were always grounded in his belief that he was developing players by making them better young men along the way. His focus was on the character of the players he coached, and not just on their abilities as basketball players. One of Coach Hamilton’s greatest joys was coaching his three sons – Tyler, Jordan, and Ben. Ben is a current Red Demon assistant for his father. His wife, Tawnya, rarely missed a game over the past thirty years – as Red Demon Basketball was certainly a family affair for the Hamilton’s. The search for a new Head Coach will begin immediately. The DCHS Athletic Department will place a priority on hiring a certified teacher who has the necessary expertise and experience to lead the Red Demon basketball program and continue the tradition built by Coach Hamilton. Quote from Jay Gifford, AD: “The DCHS Athletic Department appreciates the dedication to the program and the studentathletes of Dodge City High School demonstrated by Coach Hamilton during his tenure asthe head coach of the Red Demons. He is certainly the epitome of DCDNA! In my mind – Red Demon Basketball is Dennis Hamilton. When my family moved to Dodge City in the summer of 1987 – Coach Hamilton had just been hired as the Head Basketball coach. I often joked that I was his recruit. Both my brother and I were lucky enough to play for Coach Hamilton and he has a special place in our high school memories. He has been an outstanding example and source of continuity for the basketball program and the Dodge City High School Athletic Department. It has also been my pleasure to work with Dennis as the Athletic Director at DCHS. It will be difficult to find anyone as organized, passionate, and knowledgeable about the game of basketball as Coach Hamilton. He is a great friend and has certainly given everything he has to this community and school.” Quote from Jacque Feist, Principal: The leadership team at Dodge City High School will have a huge void to fill next year with the retirement of Dennis Hamilton. Although most people connect Coach Hamilton with Red Demon Basketball, Coach Hamilton has also played an integral part in developing the academic programs we now offer through our PE Department. In particular, I know Coach Hamilton is very proud of the Adaptive PE Program h

FAQs

When is Dennis Hamilton retiring from Dodge City High School, and what roles is he stepping down from?

He is retiring at the end of the current school year. He is stepping aside from his duties as a PE Teacher and Head Basketball Coach.

What were Dennis Hamilton’s major accomplishments as head coach of Red Demon Basketball?

He led the program to multiple State Basketball Tournaments, earned eight WAC titles including four straight from 2010–2013, and finished with a DCHS career record of (418-251).

How will Dodge City High School find a replacement for the head coach position?

The DCHS Athletic Department will begin the search immediately and prioritize hiring a certified teacher with the expertise and experience needed to lead the program and continue Hamilton’s tradition.

Aug 27, 2026

Upload by Gloria