Hamilton promoted at Georgia State

Joe Hamilton has been promoted to running backs coach at Georgia State and he couldn't be more happy with where he is because of where he was.

Hamilton made his name in college football as the 1999 Heisman Trophy runner-up and ACC player of the year at Georgia Tech.

After a career in the NFL and Arena Football, he was hired as a player personnel assistant at Tech in 2008. However, he resigned a few weeks later after being arrested for DUI, open container, marijuana possession and hit and run. His case closed with a negotiated guilty plea to DUI and open container. The hit-and-run charge was merged into the DUI conviction and the marijuana charge was dropped.

Hamilton, a former standout quarterback at Georgia Tech, had been on coach Bill Curry's staff as an intern for the past year. His responsibilities included requesting academic transcripts, logging videos of prospects and other behind-the-scenes tasks.

"I made a mistake," he said. "I worked my butt off to correct it and worked to make sure that I'll never put myself in that position. I have a new lease on my dream. I did it the right way. It happened because of me grinding and being responsible. The thing I'm most proud of is I spent the past year doing the same type of work that any other coach would have to do. Nothing was given. Everything was earned."

Hamilton fills the job held by Todd Perry, who resigned to coach high school football. In his new position, Hamilton can recruit for the Panthers, something he couldn't do as an intern. He said he's not sure what region he will recruit, though he guessed it might be south Georgia, where Perry recruited. Hamilton is so excited, he said he would go to Kuwait if that's what Curry asked him to do.

"It's very exciting to be a coach," Hamilton said. "It's been a dream of mine since I stopped playing football. There's not a better coach or mentor than Bill Curry. I'm just excited to help him at Georgia State."

Schedule set

The missing pieces in Georgia State's football schedule are in place.

The Panthers will play Clark Atlanta on Friday, Sept. 2. The game was originally scheduled for Sept. 1, but the Falcons are also scheduled to play a preseason game on that date, assuming the NFL solves its work-stoppage and the season begins.

The Panthers will play St. Francis, an NAIA school from Joliet, Ill., in place of Lambuth, which closed. The game will be Nov. 5 at the Dome.

The Fighting Saints went 7-4 last season. They averaged 30.8 points per game and allowed 23.5.

2011 Georgia State football schedule

All Dates Subject to Change. Times TBA.

Sept. 2 Clark Atlanta

Sept. 10 Old Dominion

Sept. 17 at Jacksonville State (Jacksonville, Ala.)

Sept. 24 at Houston (Houston, Texas)

Oct. 8 Murray State

Oct. 15 at South Carolina State (Orangeburg, S.C.)

Oct. 22 South Alabama

Oct. 29 at UTSA (San Antonio, Texas)