Long-time Hamilton high school basketball coach retiring

After 28 successful years as a local basketball coach in Hamilton, David Ormerod – known as “Coach O” – is set to hang up his clipboard by the end of this season.

And his players and fellow coaches say the school won’t be the same without him.

Ormerod is in his final stretch of games this week as a senior basketball coach at Saltfleet District High School.

“A lot of good kids, a lot of good people have come through here that have helped me a lot,” Ormerod said. “It’s starting to sink in now that I’m leaving.”

The longtime coach was honoured at a banquet on Sunday.

Coach O has 476 wins and around 100 losses. He achieved nine championships and notably won Saltfleet’s first OFSAA title in 2015.

“The last 10 senior city championships he’s been in or won, so 10 in a row, which sets an all-time Hamilton record,” Saltfleet Head of Phys-Ed and OFSAA Convenor Steve Green said.

Saltfleet is praising Coach O for being legendary.

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And although he attributes his success to his students and peers working behind the scenes, Coach O’s students think otherwise.

Student Tyson Gooden said he’s a great coach.

“He cares about the kids a lot, he’s always there for us, supports us no matter what,” Gooden said. “It would be good to get Coach O to win this year to finish and retire on a good note.”

Presley Weeks, who has played under Coach O for three years, says he never lets his players down.

“He’s amazing, he worries about the players and he coaches us the best he possibly can,” Weeks said. “I came here not knowing basketball and now I’ve come to love the sport.”

Saltfleet hosted a game against Richview Collegiate from Toronto on Tuesday and came out on top, winning 68-40.

They’re now headed to the quarterfinals in the tournament, which means Coach O has at least one more game left.