EAST RUTHERFORD--Eric Hamilton, the former The College of New Jersey coaching icon, was presented the Butterfield Trophy by Dennis Wilson, President of the Metropolitan New York Football Writers, at the Eastern College Football Awards Banquet on February 19 held in the Lexus Club of MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.

As an undergraduate offensive center for the Lions, Hamilton earned All-ECAC honors in 1973 and 1974. In January, 1977, he was hired as the head football coach at his alma mater and at the time was the youngest head football coach at any college in the United States. His career stretched through the 2012 season as he posted 212 wins.

Established in 1996 by USA College Football Network, the Butterfield Trophy is the national Division III Legendary Coach Award that recognizes an outstanding coaching career. It is named for Ithaca College’s Jim Butterfield, the Bombers head coach from 1967 to 1994 who recorded 206 victories, claimed three NCAA Division III Stagg Bowl titles and finished second on four occasions. The inaugural Butterfield recipient was Ron Schipper (Central College – IA) who received the award from Butterfield in New Jersey on the eve of the first-ever USA College Football Bowl in 1996. Other presentations have been made at the Stagg Bowl in Salem, VA and numerous USA College Football Bowl venues in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and Virginia. This year, the presentation returned to New Jersey at the Meadowlands Sports Complex to honor Hamilton.