Mark McClam stepping down as Hammond basketball coach

Hammond basketball coach Mark McClam is stepping down after five seasons at the school. McClam informed his team Wednesday of his decision.

The former Dreher and College of Charleston standout went 105-27 during his tenure and led the Skyhawks to the SCISA 3A crown in 2015 – Hammond’s first state title since 1999.

“Always wanted to be a high school basketball coach and lifetime dream and blessed that Hammond gave me the opportunity,” McClam said. “I had such great kids and great people in administration like Chris Angel (headmaster) and (athletic director) Jeffrey Barnes.”

McClam said many things went into his decision including health (citing back surgeries), wanting to spend more time with family and doing more missionary work. He’s on the board of Medical Missions, which helps build churches abroad.

During McClam’s time, Hammond rose in prominence on a national level with the emergence of such players such as Seventh Woods, Chevez Goodwin and Xavier McDaniel Jr. Woods is the top-ranked prospect in the state and will play at North Carolina next year, while Goodwin’s headed to College of Charleston.

The Skyhawks won 36 games in a row from 2015-16 and were ranked nationally this year. Hammond also won the 2015 Chick-fil-A Classic and played in a variety of high profile games over the past five seasons, including matchups against Spring Valley, Dreher, A.C. Flora and Keenan.

“It was a ride I couldn’t have imagined when we took over five years ago. It was such a great run playing in front of packed gyms and we always answered the bell,” McClam said. “We had kids that wanted to play at a high level and were dedicated.”

Hammond athletic director Jeffrey Barnes said the school will advertise the position and there’s no timetable for the next coach will be in place.

“We are thankful for what he has done for this program,” Barnes said. “He took it to the national level and coached some talented kids and gave up his time for this program. We are happy for everything he has had done.”

This story was originally published April 6, 2016 at 3:05 PM with the headline "Mark McClam stepping down as Hammond basketball coach."