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Jake Hamburger was hired as the assistant men’s basketball coach in early May.
Prior to being hired at Pitt State, Hamburger was a graduate assistant coach from the University of Oregon. Before that, he was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Hasting College from 2016 to 2017, which is also the college he attended and played basketball at. He was also an assistant coach at Papillion La-Vista South High School from 2015 to 2016.
He earned a bachelor of arts in English education in 2014. Hamburger is currently getting his master’s degree in prevention science which he will receive from Oregon this month.
Hamburger is glad to be back in the Midwest.
“I am really enjoying Pittsburg. I am from the Midwest, so it is nice to be back closer to home in the Midwest,” Hamburger said. “I am adjusting to the size of the town. It is a little smaller than Eugene. But the people are great. Everybody is very helpful. It has got just that small town, Midwest feel that I grew up with.”
Hamburger hopes to continue growing as a coach and help the basketball team advance in skill during his time at Pitt State.
“Coach Anderson is a great guy for me to learn from,” Hamburger said. “He is a great coach. He has had success at many different levels. Him and Coach Altman had a connection and they have a good conversation and kind of went through the interview process. Above all, it is going to be a great place for me to learn (and) a great place for me to continue to develop as a coach and hopefully I can help Coach Anderson get the program to the next level.”
This is Hamburger’s first time coaching at the Division–II two level, which he is exited about.
“I am really looking forward to seeing the Division–II level (in the) MIAA,” Hamburger said. “This is the first time I have been at the Division–II level. I was at the NAIA level with Hasting College and then the Division–I level with Oregon. So, I am really excited to kind of get to see this level of basketball. I know there is a lot of great players in this conference and at this level so (I am) just really excited to see what basketball is all about here at the Division II level.”
According to Hamburger, he always knew what he wanted to do as a career.
“I always knew I wanted to teach and coach,” Hamburger said. “Even back when I was in high school, I knew I wanted to teach and coach. I did not know I wanted to coach at the college level. I started at the high school level and just got an opportunity. I have known for probably the last, I would say, 10 years that I wanted to coach.”
Hamburger has always been a big fan of basketball and played throughout his time in college where he earned honorable mention All-Great Plains Athletic Conference honors. He also earned CoSIDA Academic All-American Honors.
“I have enjoyed basketball ever since I can remember,” Hamburger said. “I grew up playing (basketball) and I grew up playing a lot of different sports, but basketball has kind of been something that I have always participated in and followed and studied. (I am a) big, big fan of the game both as a coach and just as someone who enjoys it as a hobby.”
