NORTHWOOD – Bill Hamilton is embracing his new role as Northwood’s head girls basketball coach.
Hamilton, who served as Northwood’s athletics director the past two years, steps back into the realm of
coaching in hopes of leading the Ranger program to a new level of success.
The Toledo Libbey High School and University of Toledo graduate takes over for former coach Geoff
Milewski, who compiled an overall record of 39-65 in five seasons.
"I’m really excited. It’s great to be back in coaching and being a head coach. Our players, I really
do believe, are pretty special here," said Hamilton, who has coached boys and girls basketball at
levels throughout junior high and high school. He most recently was a head coach with the Rossford girls
program.
The Rangers have never won a Toledo Area Athletic Conference title, and were 25-35 in the TAAC under
Milewski. Last season Northwood finished 8-12 overall and 7-5 in the TAAC, losing in the first game of
the sectional tournament.
"As far as making goals, I feel that the whole program is going to be involved in making that
decision," said Hamilton, adding that former Ranger boys head coach Jim Besgrove will serve as his
assistant.
"We just really felt as a group a goal would be definitely to go as far as we can go and work as
hard as we can work to make that dream come true," he added. "They felt as a group they wanted
to work hard towards a league title and after that a great tournament run."
Northwood only lost three seniors from its 2010-11 roster, and returns five players that were juniors
last season.
Hamilton stated he will look to his team to play more of an up-tempo style than in the past, taking
advantage of what he sees as a team with speed throughout its lineup.
"I really believe that we’re going to be pretty quick this year," Hamilton said. "We’re
going to do things a little bit differently. We’re going to be a little more aggressive. When I say that
I mean we’re going to push the ball a little bit, do things aggressively defensively as well."
Hamilton also said a goal of his is to build the program from the ground up, getting the younger kids
involved at an early age.
"We’re definitely going to focus on finishing. That’s one thing as a program I think we need to
do," Hamilton said. "We’re also going to build this program from the elementary all the way
through, because I think that’s something we really need to focus on, so there’s an excitement about
basketball here."
The Rangers have not won a title of any sort in girls basketball since 1990.
"I think that’s just one of those things as a head coach and as a coaching staff that you need to
embrace and get them excited at a really young age when they’re willing to come out and they’re willing
to make things happen," Hamilton said.
Hamilton will no longer serve as athletics director, stating that he will be dedicating just as much time
to the girls program as he did when he oversaw all of the Northwood sports programs.
"It’s going to take hard work by everybody – the coaching staff, the players. If they do that then I
think we’re going to be successful," he said. "Every player in this program plays at a certain
level, but I want them to strive to be better and to play at a greater level than they’re at this point.

"I really do want to create an excitement about it and want it to be a great experience for every
player that comes into this program," he added. "I want it to be something 10 or 15 years from
now that they look back on say, ‘This was really fun and I had a great time and we worked hard and we’re
able to accomplish things.’"