Coach Ben Hammer enters his sixth year with the Mustangs during the 2017 season. He was promoted to the Assistant Head Coach following the 2016 season. In addition to being the assistant head coach, he also is in charge of special teams, linebackers and video coordinator. During the 2016 season, star linebacker Dominic Barry continued to improve under Hammer’s tutelage as the junior led the team in tackles with 103, with 39 coming solo, along with 7.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, four passes broken up, five quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles. Senior linebacker Steven Stewart also had a big year as he was second to Barry in tackles with 64, with 30 coming solo.  He tied Barry in tackles for loss with 7.5, while adding 2.5 sacks, three passes broken up and one interception. Barry ended up third in the Lone Star Conference in tackles per game (9.3) and 47th nationally. His special teams unit had a big year with freshman Tyler Vargas as he was in the running for the Fred Mitchell Award throughout the season for both his kicking and punting excellences. Vargas averaged 41 yards per punt, with 21 landing inside the 20 and 13 going for over 50 yards. In kickoffs, he averaged 57.5 yards with 17 going for touchbacks. He also added eight field goals, with a long of 40 yards. Vargas was second in the LSC in punting average, fifth in field goals per game (0.73) and sixth in field goal percentage (53.3). Nationally he ranked 23rd in punting, 69th in field goals per game and 83rd in field goal percentage. In returns, Alfonso Wilson returned a blocked punt for a touchdown 36 yards against UT Permian Basin and Mazin Khalil added a 45-yard kickoff return touchdown in that same game. WNMU finished seventh in the LSC in punt return average (8.75) and fifth in kickoff return average (20.26).
Coach Hammer was in charge of special teams, linebackers and video coordinator during the 2015 season. Rhakeem Holland had a punt return for a touchdown that went for 67 yards to help him earn RMAC Special Teams Player of the Week in the win against Arizona Christian. The team averaged 8.8 yards per punt return and 25 yards per kickoff return with a long of 44. Linebacker Dominic Barry led the team in tackles with 64, 26 solo, along with three tackles for loss, three pass breakups, a fumble recovery and forced fumble. The defense as a whole defense came through with many opportunistic plays in 2015 as they were 47th nationally in defensive touchdowns (2) and 50th in fumbles recovered (10). In terms of RMAC rankings WNMU landed third in defensive touchdowns, and led the conference in fumble recoveries. Individually, Avery Crump and Alfonso Wilson each tied for 39th nationally in fumble recoveries and Juwan Sumpter was 10th in passes defended per game. Shiane Tupua, Wilson and Sumpter were each named to the All-RMAC squad.Â
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Hammer came to WNMU as the wide receiver coach in May 2012 as a student assistant coach. In the past few years he has continued to add more coaching duties.Â
In his second season, top receiver Ronnell Pompey brought in 63 passes for 1,241 yards and 12 touchdowns. He ranked in the top-20 in the nation in receiving yards per game (10th), total receiving yards (14th), and in touchdowns (18th). He was named First-Team All-RMAC. In total the receivers brought in 210 passes for 2,880 yards and 26 touchdowns. The offense tallied a pair of 40-point games in wins over Western State and New Mexico Highlands, while also scoring over 30 a pair of times.
During his first season, the Mustangs had a solid passing attack with his receivers bringing in 260 passes for 3,335 yards, averaging 7.3 per pass, 303.2 per game and 27 touchdowns. Marquis Sumpter had a big season going for 1,180 yards on 74 receptions and 13 touchdowns.
Prior to WNMU, Hammer coached several teams in Germany, Europe.
Hammer began his coaching career as an assistant coach for the Rosenheim Rebels Junior team and worked with the quarterbacks and receivers. After his first year, he became the head coach and offensive coordinator. In his first season, the program turned from a 1-1-8 record, into a 9-1 record. After a short stint as wide receiver coach for the Königsbrunn Ants Men team, he became the head coach of the NFA Monarchs Junior team.
The Monarchs had just two wins during the last two seasons before he took the program over. Through a change of their location, the NFA Monarchs changed their name into the LIONS during the first year.
Over the next four seasons, Hammer put that team on the map and led the Lions to three state final appearances in a row and won the state championship in 2009. Hammer was named the Coach of the Year in Junior football in Bavaria in 2009. In addition to the Junior team he started, he had a Men‘s team in 2010 that had a perfect season in their first year. During his time with the Lions, over 20 players were selected to the Bavarian All-Star team.
Before his arrival in May, Coach Hammer was the head coach of the Kirchdorf Wildcats Men team that are currently playing in the German Football League 2.
Before his coaching career, Hammer played linebacker and was selected to the Bavarian All-Star team.
Hammer will graduate with a bachelor´s degree while he´s with WNMU.
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