“The rise, fall and potential rebirth of Husky Basketball”
Jason Hamilton
President / UW Men's Basketball Color Commentator Richmond Public Relations / IMG Sports Network
Introduced by: Bob Holert
Percy Allen of the Seattle Times recently wrote an article “Is Lorenzo Romar still the right coach for the Huskies?”
Lorenzo Romar, Men’s basketball coach since 2002, is second on UW’s all-time coaching wins list at 252-141 and he’s being judged by standards he established, which is what makes the team’s recent mediocrity so challenging. However, last week Romar and his coaching staff signed a new recruiting class that many think is the best class he has signed during his tenure at Washington.
In April 2010, Romar signed a 10-year contract extension on a deal that expires after the 2019-20 season. It was the third extension since his original deal in 2002. With six years remaining on the contract, there are no plans to renegotiate another extension. However, Scott Woodward, Washington Athletic Director said that’s not an indication he’s unhappy with Romar’s performance.
“In every way, Coach is a great ambassador for this program, those kids, our school and this community,” Woodward said. “Now would he like a few more wins? Well, yeah. We all would. Coach knows that, and he would be the first to say that.”
“But as far as I’m concerned, Lorenzo Romar is a perfect fit for Washington.”
Jason will discuss the past, present and his thoughts about the future of Husky basketball. As the color commentator at every men’s Husky basketball game he brings unique insight into the question posed by Percy Allen!
About the Speaker
Hamilton originally began his career in collegiate and professional sports after his playing days on the University of Washington (UW) men’s basketball team. A double major in Communications and Political Science, Hamilton segued into a four-year coaching stint at UW after graduation before moving on to Goodwin Sports Management; a renown sports agency and marketing company with offices in Oakland and Seattle. With a focus on media relations, public relations, endorsements, marketing and business development, Hamilton transitioned the skills from his previous stops seamlessly into RPR’s culture.
A diverse group of clients such as The Benaroya Companies, Canlis, Cascade Bicycle Club, CRISTA, Dean & DeLuca, Emerald Downs Race Track, Highland Private Wealth Management, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Panera Bread, Red Bull, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Taco Time Northwest, UW Medicine Northwest, Westfield Group and Zeeks Pizza, have all trusted Hamilton for public relations guidance, media training, messaging or crisis communications assistance.
Outside of his role with Richmond Public Relations, Hamilton is also a member of the media. For more than a decade he has occupied a courtside seat as the color analyst on the University of Washington / IMG Sports Radio Network for men’s basketball, as well as being a guest co-host for Sports Radio KJR (Clear Channel 950AM / 102.9FM) in Seattle. In the community, Hamilton serves on several charitable or non-profit boards including: YMCA of Greater Seattle, Seattle Sports Commission and A Better Seattle.