Mention the name Dana Holgorsen around fans of West Virginia University football and they will immediately inform you that he is the 33rd head coach in the school's history, taking over for Bill Stewart.
But, say the name Alex Hammond and many of those same individuals might have to take a moment-or many moments-before coming up with an answer they hope will be correct.
Hammond joined the Mountaineer football staff in July as the team's coordinator of recruiting operations and will serve in an administrative capacity, overseeing the operational and compliance aspects of football recruiting as well as serving as an aide to WVU's newest head coach.
"I think the biggest opportunity West Virginia has right now is coach Holgorsen," explained Hammond. "Everywhere he has gone, his offenses and his teams have had success and, now, we are putting him into the Big East and we are already seeing recruits wanting to come here."
A 2004 graduate of he University of Texas with a bachelor's degree in government, Hammond earned his juris doctorate from Northwestern University School of Law four years later.
After a one-year stay as an associate at Baker and Daniels, an international practice group, Hammond served as the associate director of amateurism certification at the NCAA. His duties included educating elite athletes and member institutions and conferences on NCAA legislation. He also served as the NCAA's liaison to the Big 12 and Atlantic Coast Conferences on issues regarding amateurism and conducted amateurism reviews on high profile student-athletes.
Given WVU's recent woes with college sports policing organization, having someone in its athletic department schooled in the thinking of that organization can only serve as a positive.
His duties in Morgantown also will include the day-to-day recruitment of student-athletes as well as managing and planning on-campus recruiting visits.
This weekend, more than a dozen potential Mountaineers come to Morgantown.
"We want kids to come in here and feel a vibe that they haven't seen anywhere else. If you look at the kids who are really interested in our program right now, there's a natural pull that has a lot to do with the direction coach Holgorsen s pulling the program."
Hammond's job won't end once the last recruit leaves WVU. He also will build and maintain relationships with high school and junior college coaches to advance recruiting, assist with the planning of the annual clinic for high school coaches and coordinate the summer jobs of student-athletes.
"My plate will definitely be full. But, when you are at a school that can boast of an offensive coach like Holgorsen as well as a defensive coordinator like coach Casteel, it makes my job easier."
Hammond understands the importance of maintaining WVU's traditional recruiting hotbeds in Maryland, Virginia, Florida, Pennsylvania and D.C.
"We want the name West Virginia University to become a household name nationwide."
Contact Jim Butta at jbutta@newsandsentinel.com
