Sean Mackin, who served as interim head coach of the Hamilton College women's basketball team during the 2007-08 season, has been selected the program's head coach.
Mackin guided the Continentals to a record of 15-10 and the semifinals of the 2008 Liberty League championship tournament, where Hamilton lost to St. Lawrence University in double overtime. The Continentals set a program record for league wins in one season with 10, and finished third in the league standings with a record of 10-4.
Mackin's players earned two all-league honors and one made the Eastern College Athletic Conference Upstate Region all-star team. The Continentals' regular season strength of schedule ranked 21st out of more than 400 Division III teams. Hamilton played 10 games against seven teams that competed in the 2008 NCAA tournament.
"After a long, extensive search, I am pleased that coach Mackin emerged as the best person to lead our program forward," athletic director Jon Hind '80 said. "He is committed to building the best possible basketball program, a program everyone at Hamilton will be proud of. Coach Mackin's team had several wonderful accomplishments last year, and I am looking forward to our continued progress."
Mackin was an assistant coach for the Colgate University women's basketball team in 2006-07. Prior to his season at Colgate, Mackin was an assistant coach for the Swedish national team from 2000 to 2002. He coached players from schools such as the University of Minnesota, Oregon State University and Georgia Tech.
Mackin was the head coach for a Danish women's basketball club team that won a national championship in 1994. He guided a Swedish women's club team to national semifinal appearances in 1999 and 2002, and directed that team to exhibition victories against Iowa State University and the University of Memphis. He coached 16-to-19-year-old men and women from Sweden and Denmark who went on to play at the University of Utah, the University of Hartford, the University of Maryland and the University of North Carolina-Greensboro.
"I have a fantastic opportunity to coach at one of the top schools in the country with great players and great coaches," Mackin said. "I have learned a lot this past season and look forward to great things at Hamilton. I want to thank Jon Hind and President [Joan Hinde] Stewart for this tremendous opportunity."
The Pennsylvania native was a captain, four-year starter and 1,000-point scorer at Muhlenberg College. Mackin still ranks sixth on the program's career list with 85 blocked shots. He played professional basketball in Denmark for three seasons.
Mackin received a bachelor's degree in communications from Muhlenberg in 1988. He earned varsity letters in basketball, baseball and golf at Pocono Central Catholic High School. Mackin and his wife Tatjana have three children -- Samuel, Kaitlyn and Hannah.
