Known for always being

animated and colorful on the sidelines, Barry Hamler has stepped down as

the Head Basketball Coach at

Granby

High School

in

Norfolk

,

VA

after two seasons. 

"It's true," Granby

Principal Ted Daughtrey wrote back to VirginiaPreps.com via e-mail on

Monday afternoon, confirming Hamler's decision not to return. 

The Comets hired him to replace Lonnie Blow back in October of 2005. 

This past season,

Granby

went 18-9 overall and 9-5 in Eastern District regular season competition.

Hamler, 50, became the center

of controversy when he went on unpaid suspension in December, facing felony

charges related to his car dealership – Eagle Auto Sales – in

North Carolina

.  Two felony counts of altering a

vehicle title and 14 additional misdemeanor charges ranging from failure to

deliver a title to failure to inspect a vehicle prior to sale against Hamler

were dropped in February.

In his absence, Interim Head

Coach Tiran Matthews went 13-6 overall. 

Hamler returned prior to the team's Eastern District Tournament

Championship game loss to Norcom and coached his final game with the Comets

against Tallwood in a 60-57 Eastern Region Tournament quarterfinal defeat. 

During the 2005-06 season, Hamler received the VirginiaPreps.com Eastern

District Coach of the Year award, guiding

Granby

to a 16-10 overall mark and 10-4 inside the Eastern District. 

Granby

rallied to beat Deep Creek in the opening round of the region playoffs before

falling short in their attempt of pulling a monumental upset versus

Bethel

in the second round.  His two years

at

Granby

saw the Comets go 21-13 overall and 13-4 in league games that he coached.

As a player at Powell Valley

High from 1972-76, Hamler comprised a record of 99-11, winning four straight

district crowns and capturing a State Championship. 

He set school records for points (2094) and rebounds (1924), while also

recording 251 assists.  Named the

Captain of the West squad in the 1976 VHSCA All-Star game, Hamler was selected

All-State three times.

Replacing two-time state

title winner Zeke Avery at Booker T. Washington, Hamler won 123 games compared

to 30 losses in his tenure with the Bookers from 1987-95. 

Included were four Eastern District regular season titles and an

appearance in 1992 State Final, which Patrick Henry of

Roanoke

won 79-71.  Hamler would then move

on to the college ranks, and in seven seasons at

Elizabeth

City

State

, he posted a 121-68 record.