Contact:
Elizabeth Blevins, Director, Office of Communications
Office: (740) 351-3810; FAX: (740) 351-3179; Cell: (740) 464-4854
940 Second Street – Portsmouth, Ohio 45662
E-mail: eblevins@shawnee.edu 
Web site: www.shawnee.edu

            A director and several new full-time positions have been filled at Shawnee State University Athletics Department including assistant athletic director in charge of Equipment and Facilities, assistant athletic director in charge of Academics and Compliance and a coordinator of Sports Information and Game Management.
            Jeff Hamilton, who was interim director of SSU’s Athletics Department and who is also head men's basketball coach, has been named director of the department. Hamilton came to Shawnee State as an assistant coach before the 2001-02 season and helped guide the Bears to a 22-10 record, including a 13-5 conference mark.
             Hamilton played basketball at The College of Wooster where he received a bachelor's degree in history. From there he went to Illinois College where he was the head women's soccer coach and head men's golf coach. He was also an assistant coach for the men's basketball team.
             In 1999, Hamilton joined the men's basketball staff of Ohio University as a graduate assistant. He earned a master's degree in Physical Education and remained on staff at O.U. as an assistant coach during the 2000-01 season.
             Kara Bobo has been interim Sports Information director and Game Manager in the Athletics Department since August 2008 and recently, she has been named the coordinator of Sports Information and Game Management in the new full-time position. She graduated from Shawnee State in May 2008 with a bachelor in Sports Studies and a concentration in Sports Management with a minor in Business Administration. While attending school, she was a student assistant to the Sports Information director.
            Eric Putnam has been named assistant athletic director in charge of Equipment and Facilities. Putnam is in his fourth year as head coach of men’s and women’s cross country and led the Shawnee State Bears to an 11th place in the 32-team field at the NAIA national championships. This was their highest finish in school history.
            SSU student Keegan Rathkamp became the first runner in men's team history to become an NAIA All-American finishing 10th place. Twice in four years, the men's team has qualified for nationals with Putnam as head coach.
            During Putnam's four years as head cross country coach, the men have finished no less then third at the AMC championship. They have also been ranked in the top 25 poll every year.
            Before joining Shawnee State, Putnam coached Chillicothe high school to a district championship in 2003 and a district runner-up finish in 2004. Two Chillicothe runners qualified for the state championship meet in 2003. He served as assistant cross country and track coach at Xavier University from 2001-03.
            Putnam has been winning road races at various distances throughout Ohio for more than a decade. He was the 2005 Run Ohio Grand Prix Co-Champion in 2005 and the 2006 Huntington Half Marathon Champion with a time of 1:09:04. Putnam has also won the Shawnee State Bear run a record 10 times.
            Ted Tom has been named assistant athletic director in charge of Academics and Compliance and he is in his third season as head baseball coach. In 2009, he led the baseball Bears to a 25-30 record and for the first time since 2003, a winning record (18-16) in the American Mideast Conference.
            Four of his players earned All-AMC honors and two more earned NAIA Scholar Athlete Awards. In Tom’s first season at the helm of his alma mater, the Bears finished 16-29 with a 10-16 conference mark. Three of his players earned All-AMC honors.
            In 2007, Tom was outfield instructor at the IMG Baseball Academies in Bradenton, Fla. where he also was a head coach in the Florida Collegiate Instructional League. He spent the 2005-06 seasons as the volunteer assistant coach at Indiana University. While there, his responsibilities included outfield play, coaching first base, and assisting with the hitters while also working on Sembower Field. During this time, Tom earned his master’s degree in athletic administration.
            He graduated from Shawnee State in 2004 with a degree in sport management with minors in business and sport coaching and he was a red-shirt member of the 2000 team that finished fifth in the NAIA World Series. As a player, Tom earned All-AMC honors as well as the Joe Smith Memorial Award which is given to the outstanding senior student that best exemplifies the attitude and sportsmanship of Smith.