Coaching Staff

Within the athletics program at Indiana Tech you will find only the best coaches with a proven record of success for themselves and their student athletes on and off the field.

Rodney Hamilton

Full-size photo
Office Phone: (260) 422-2231, x2282
Cell Phone: (573) 576-8549
Email: rkhamilton@indianatech.edu

Get to know Coach Hamilton

Rodney Hamilton is in his second year as the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Indiana Tech.

During the course of his first year at the helm, the lady warrior basketball program looks to be headed in the right direction with the team collecting the most conference and overall wins since the 2005-06 season. The lady warriors had a couple of highlight wins during the 2009-10 season, beating 2 teams that finished as the #18th and #25th team in the top 25 nationally ranked final pole.

Hamilton came to Fort Wayne after serving two seasons as an Assistant Men's Basketball Coach at Southeast Missouri State University a NCAA Division 1 program in the Ohio Valley Conference. Hamilton's primary duties as an assistant coach included recruiting coordinator which involved all aspects of recruiting in and out of state student athletes for the men’s basketball program. He assured policy compliance for the NCAA, scheduled exhibitions, games, and tournaments for program. He was involved in on-court player development pre-season, season and post-season. He managed film exchange procedure in compliance with the OVC conference rule and regulations. He was involved in film breakdown for scouting, and game strategies. Hamilton implemented community service projects for men’s basketball and served as the team academic liaison.

Before SEMO Hamilton became part of the first coaching staff at Crichton College in 2005 when the Comets joined the NAIA TranSouth Conference. During the first season at Crichton College, the men’s basketball team enjoyed a 15 game turnaround from the previous season. Crichton Finished 18-12 overall, 3rd in TranSouth Conference and were Ranked as high as 13th in the NAIA Top 25 National Ranking. The 2006-07 Crichton College team made the NAIA Division 1 National Tournament and advanced to the NAIA Elite Eight after winning the TranSouth Conference regular season and tournament championships in only the second season. Finish with a 28-8 regular & post-season record; 15-3 in the TranSouth Conference. Crichton was ranked nationally during the course of the year being 25, 22, and 21.  After beating the #6, #12, and having a 13 game win streak, the comets finished #7 IN THE NATION IN THE NAIA NATIONAL RANKED POLL. At Crichton, Hamilton was also the Inaugural Head Coach of the Women's Cross Country Team that began competing in the 2006-07 season and placed 2nd in the TranSouth Conference.

Hamilton began his coaching career as The Head Boys Basketball Coach, Head Girls Track, and Cross Country Coach at Westside High School in his hometown Memphis, TN in 2001. He spent 4 years leading the Wildcats in the 15AA Memphis City Schools District advancing Westside High School to the Regional 8 AA tournament.

Prior to his 9 seasons as a Basketball Coach he played professionally for three seasons. In 1998 he participated in the Atlanta Hawks Free Agent Training Camp.  He went on to play in Sweden, Switzerland, and Hungary. In his first year in Sweden he took the Alvik Stockholm Team to the Finals in the Playoffs. He was selected as one of the Top 5 Import Players and “Guard of the Year” and also led Alvik to their first ever Swedish-Finnish Championship.

Hamilton played collegiately at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia where he lettered all four seasons and had the opportunity to play for the Legendary Coach Charles “Lefty” Driesell during his senior season. Hamilton has the university’s records for scoring (1,515 points), free throw percentage (.838), assists (535), steals (212), and games started (105).  He was a two-time All-Atlantic Sun Conference selection, earning first team and ASC All-Tournament honors in 1998. He was named second team All-ASC in 1997 and garnered Academic All-ASC both years. Hamilton was the first GSU player to have his jersey number retired. He was honored by the CAA (Colonial Athletic Association) on January 30th, 2007 at halftime of his alma mater as a CAA Legend. This is an honor that the conference hands out once per season to a men's basketball player that exemplifies the CAA.

Hamilton earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management from Georgia State University in 1998, and Master of Arts in Teaching from Christian Brothers University in 2003.

Hamilton and his wife, Tamara are the parents of two daughters, Bailey Madison and Brooke McKenzie.

Assistant Coaches

Coach Ragukonis is entering her third year as our Head JV Coach. Ragukonis was a four-year varsity starter for South Bend Riley high school where she averaged over 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists for her career. She was selected as a South Bend Tribune All-Star, First Team All-Conference, and among the Top 100 Seniors in 2001. Ragukonis currently still holds the record for the most 3-pointers in a game.

Ragukonis played basketball at Manchester College and then transferred to the University of Saint Francis to play basketball, and graduated with a Bachelors Degree in English and Secondary Education. She currently teaches middle school Special Education at Imagine Master Academy in Fort Wayne.

Christa resides in Fort Wayne, IN.

Coach Reaves is now entering her third year as an assistant coach at Indiana Tech. Reaves will be assisting the Warriors Varsity team this season with the intent of developing and improving the player’s knowledge of the game.

Reaves is no stranger to Indiana Tech basketball. The Flint, Michigan native was a shooting guard for the Warriors basketball team for 2 years after transferring from Northwood University. Reaves was ranked 29th in NAIA Division II in 3-Pt FG Pct (0.394) in the 05-06 season. Reaves lead the team in points and assist her senior year averaging 13.8 pts and 2.9 asts per game.

Reaves graduated in 2007 with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Information Systems with a concentration in Web Design.

Porsche resides in Fort Wayne, IN.

Coach LaGrande is entering her third year, first as an Assistant Coach. Her last two years she was the Graduate Assistant Coach for the Warriors Varsity Basketball team. In May 2010 Coach LaGrande Recieved her Master of Science in Managemant from Indiana Tech.

Natasha is a Southfield, MI native and a four year player of the Warriors basketball team, where she was co-captain for two years. She has a tremendous amount of basketball knowledge and understanding of the game, making her a vital asset to the program.

Coach LaGrande graduated in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Sports Management.

Coach Lochhead is entering his first year as a Graduate Assistant Coach for the Lady Warriors Varsity and JV Basketball team.

Luke brings four years of coaching experience from the men’s basketball team at Southeast Missouri State University where his main responsibilities included on-campus recruiting efforts, film exchange, correspondence, team travel and assisting with summer camps.

He worked under head women’s coach Rodney Hamilton from 2007-2009. During that time Coach Lochhead responsibilities were to oversee the operations of the Show Me Center, the Redhawks on-campus practice facility, as well as handle the distribution of equipment and apparel to the coaches and players. Luke also handled all video operations as it pertained to taping games, practices and supervising day-to-day video needs .

Luke, a native of Chester, Illinois, received his undergraduate degree in middle school education this past spring of 2010, at Southeast Missouri State University. Currently, Luke is getting his masters in organizational leadership at Indiana Tech.

Coach Poindexter is entering his first year as a Undergraduate Assistant Coach for the Lady Warriors Varsity and JV Basketball team.

Michael brings 8yrs of coaching experience where he coached the Memphis Blazers a 19u Senior Boys National AAU Team .

He is coming off a 34-5 season where he led his team to a 19u AAU Final Four appearance finishing third in the nation. During the course of the summer the Menphis Blazers also won the AAU Super Regionals held in Cincinnati.

Coach Poindexter has had three thirty plus win seasons and has finished in the top ten nationally three times, never finishing low as thirteenth in the country. In all eight years he has never suffered a losing season, and has placed over 70 kids in Division 1,2,3,NAIA, and Junior College. Coach Poindexter finished with a career record of 214 wins and only 57 losses in his 8yrs of coaching the Memphis Blazers..

Coach Thieke is entering her first year as a Undergraduate Assistant Coach for the Lady Warriors Junior Varsity Basketball team.

Hannah is a Kokomo, IN native that played her last two seasons after transferring to Indiana Tech in 2008. She was captain for two years. During her Career as a Lady Warrior Hannah made 2009 WHAC First Team All-Conference, 2009 WHAC All-Newcomer Team, and NAIA All American Honorable Mention. She also was NAIA Scholar Athlete both years.

She was a pleasure to have last year as a player and will be an asset to our program in helping the new additions because she knows what it takes and learned the things Coach Hamilton expects from playing last season. She has a tremendous amount of basketball knowledge and understanding of the game, making her a vital asset to the program.

Coach Thieke will graduate in May 2011 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration Marketing.