He demands conditioning, execution of fundamentals and teamwork. He is soft-spoken, but firm; business-like, yet personable.
The record speaks for itself. Cliff Hamlow has built and maintained a winner at Azusa Pacific for 18 years. Hamlow's coaching record entering the 1971-72 season is 340-186 enter the 1972-73 season ranks with the elite in basketball coaching circles. During his tenure the Cougars have had 11 20-plus winning years, and in 14 campaigns they've finished better than .500. Four times the winning percentage has been .800 or better. Two other times it's been at .793 and .778. Since the merger in the fall of 1965, Hamlow's teams have won 168 and lost 65, for a .721 winning percentage. Over the past five years, the Cougar record has been 129-43 (.750).
Hamlow's Cougars won the Golden State Athletic Association (now dissolved) eight of the 13 seasons they participated, winning 78 of 106 games.
Educationally, Hamlow graduated from Denair High School in the Modesto area of central California in 1952. He attended Azusa College (then known as Pacific Bible College) where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in education in 1956. He continued his studies at the University of Southern California, receiving a master's degree in 1965. He continued further studies at USC and is nearing completion for a master's in education degree. He has taken additional work at Cal State Los Angeles and Cal State Fullerton.
Athletically, Hamlow served as basketball coach during his senior year at Azusa College. The following year he included the head baseball, cross country and tennis positions. He remained as the baseball coach until 1965 and was an assistant in football during the 1960 and '61 seasons.
Hamlow Coaching Record
Year Record Pct. Cumulative
1954-55 7-2 .778 7-2
1955-56 20-5 .800 27-7
1956-57 21-9 .700 48-16
1957-58 6-19 .240 54-35
1958-59 15-13 .536 69-48
1959-60 13-18 .419 82-66
1960-61 16-10 .615 98-76
1961-62 20-10 .667 118-86
1962-63 9-20 .310 127-106
1963-64 21-11 .656 148-117
1964-65 24-4 .857 172-121
1965-66 23-6 .793 195-127
1966-67 16-16 .500 211-143
1967-68 21-9 .700 232-152
1968-69 28-7 .800 260-159
1969-70 29-6 .829 289-165
1970-71 25-11 .694 314-176
1971-72 26-10 .722 340-186
