Hamilton High School graduate and noted football player John Damato was hired as a high school physical education teacher and was named head coach of the school’s football program.
Damato, a 1993 Hamilton graduate who went on to play college football at St. Cloud University in Minnesota and at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, has been a physical education teacher at Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Menomonee Falls for the past four years. While employed by the Menomonee Falls School District, he was the assistant and strength coach for its varsity football program and was named “Greater Metro Conference Assistant Coach of the Year” in 2003.
Hamilton Principal David Furrer said Damato was selected to head up the football program because of his leadership qualities.
“John Damato is a positive, enthusiastic individual who is a strong leader,” Furrer said. “He presented a plan to build our football program that emphasizes a hard-work ethic, skills, teamwork and character for our student-athletes.”
Damato earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education with a double minor in health and adaptive physical education from UW-Whitewater in 1999. He earned his master’s degree in education from Marian College in Fond du Lac in 2003.
As a college football player, Damato earned offensive freshman of the year, all-American, allregion, all-conference, most valuable player and captain honors. His teaching position in Hamilton is effective at the start of the 2004-05 school year.