Taking a closer look at Pat Hill
by John Berkowitz on Oct 21, 2008 2:06 PM PDT
19 comments
Pat Hill is a 1973 graduate of UC Riverside and was an offensive lineman on the football team. Hill began his coaching career as the offensive line coach at Los Angeles Valley College from 1974 to 1976.
In 1977, he became the offensive line coach at Utah where he would stay through 1980. This was followed by short stints at UNLV in 1981 and 1982, and a one-year stay in the CFL with the Calgary Stampeders in 1983. After an assistant coaching job at Fresno State, Hill went on to become the offensive coordinator at Arizona from 1990 to 1991.
He then went to coach in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns (under Bill Bellichick) and the Baltimore Ravens where he served as the tight ends and offensive line coach for both teams.
Hill took on the head coaching job at Fresno State in 1997, where he had previously served as the offensive line coach from 1984 to 1989 under coach Jim Sweeney.
When Pat Hill first arrived he took over a team that was for all purposes technically on life support. The Bulldogs had endured some awful seasons at the end of Jim Sweeney's career and looked to be going absolutely no where. Pat Hill stepped in and revived this team sending them to a bowl game seven years in a row starting with the Las Vegas Bowl behind Billy Volek.
Hill brought the idea to the forefront that the Bulldogs should be a national player with respect to college football. Soon the Bulldogs began beating BCS teams and looking to play anyone, anywhere, anytime. Hill led Fresno State to wins over Wisconsin, Oregon State, and Colorado to begin the 2001 season and for the first time in recent memory the Bulldogs had become a household name across the nation.
Throughout his eight years with the Bulldogs, Hill has been outspoken in his willingness to play anyone, anywhere, anytime -- a philosophy that's seen Fresno travel to Oklahoma, Tennessee, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Kansas State and Colorado the past five seasons. And it's not like they do it just for the paycheck: Including bowl games, Fresno is 10-8 against BCS-conference opponents since 2000.
Hill has an 85-55 record going into the 2008 season. He has a 60-27 record inside the conference and one WAC title coming in 1999. Fresno State has been to eight bowl games since he took over the program.
When asked if he had any sympathy for a UCLA team that had been outscored 90-10 in it's previous two games here is what Hill had to say:
"There is no reason to feel sorry for UCLA," Hill said. "They have very, very good players on their roster. There is not one guy on that roster that would take a [recruiting] visit to Fresno State. We know they've got great players."
Under Hill's leadership, Fresno State has greatly improved the academic performance of its football players. During Hill's tenure the team has produced (as of 2005) 65 Academic All-WAC players, compared to a total of nine in the entire history of the program before Hill's arrival.
Pat Hill is Mr. Special Teams. His guys have blocked more kicks since 2002 (40) than any other team in the nation. The ‘Dogs also are a threat to score in the return game. Since Hill took over, FSU has scored 32 touchdowns on special teams.
Hill has turned down offers in the past from schools like Arizona, Colorado, and Minnesota to name a few. If he leaves Fresno State he wants to take over a program that has the ability to win a national championship. Even though Washington has been down a majority of a decade the Huskies have the tools and support available to make winning a national championship a reality for the right coach.
Is Pat Hill a great football coach? Here is a view on that subject from the Fresno State blog.
While many believe Hill to be a great coach I tend to see things quite differently. Since David Carr left the Bulldogs offense has turned into a predictable run first offense that lacks creativity. Year after year it does not matter who the offensive coordinator is, the Bulldogs run, run, and they run some more.
If the plan doesn't work it does not matter, the Dogs continue to run without hesitating. Pat Hill does not make adjustments to what the offense and defense of the other teams are doing. If the Dogs were to come out in a cover 2 defense with little blitzing that is exactly what they would do the entire game. If the offense was going to come out with a run first mentality then that is what they would do the entire game regardless of the score.
Here is an opposing view from the Fresno State student newspaper.
Pat Hill is the best head coach in college football.
He is not the best just because he’s the coach of my school’s team or because he has a wicked-awesome mustache.
He is the best coach in college football because he does so much more than any BCS coach without the resources and advantages the marquee schools have.
He has the courage to take on any team in college football and has never backed down from a fight in his 12 years with the program.
Hill and his "Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime" philosophy have elevated the Fresno State Bulldogs from a mediocre Western Athletic Conference school to a team regularly ranked in the Top 25.
His teams have been knocking on the door of the BCS even when the porch light isn’t on.
What do you think?
Is Pat Hill a good fit for Washington?
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Hill...
Could be a good fit, I like his attitude and toughness, but he wouldn’t be my first choice. The Bad: I’ve never found his schems that imaginative. The good: I like his California recruiting ties and attitude.
After the big three
Pinkel, Mora, and Tedford are probably the biggest targets and we all know the reasons that they would probably turn the job down. After that it becomes more of a crap shoot.
I really hope those aren't the big three
I’d MUCH rather have Petersen from Boise than any of those three. Although Mora would be my #2 guy with Muschamp #3.
Hill COULD be okay, but he shouldn't be anywhere near the top of the list
I don’t think he’d be the RIGHT hire UW right now.
The hire needs to be a little bit of Rick and a little bit of DJ. First and foremost, it needs to be a great coach like DJ. I can’t honestly say Hill is a GREAT coach. He doesn’t overachieve as much as some people seem to think he does. You’ve got Chris Petersen who does way more with less than Pat Hill, coaching in the same conference but facing the disadvantage of recruiting out of Idaho as opposed to out of California.
Second, he needs to be a bit flashy like Rick was. Rick inspired a lot of people when he was hired. He brought back the gold helmets immediately and hit the ground running (albeit running into recruits a little too much lol). The program needs to draw the fans and their money back as soon as possible, and someone as gruff as Pat Hill isn’t going to do that as well as many of the other candidates.
One other thing I don’t like about Hil (and Pinkel, for that matter) is that he’s old. I’d really like to have a coach under 50, under 55 at least. My reasons are that a coach under 50 might connect with recruits and player better, and more importantly, he’d be around longer if he’s successful.
Lambright, take 2
If you take Hill, it seems to me we want to go for the 7-5, 8-4 records. Admittedly, those records look pretty darn good as we’re looking down the barrell of an 0-12 season, but Hill just hits me as a younger Jim Lambright…great Colonel, not General material. Taking Hill is settling for what you can get, instead of simply going for it.
by Purple Reign 91 on Oct 21, 2008 4:28 PM PDT reply actions
my2cent
I think Hill would be a good fit culturally. “Anytime, Anywhere” is the UW. the UW plays bigtime schools. I know many people disagree with this approach but it is who we are, one of the last vestages of an identity carried over from when we were dominant. UW is a power running team. Hill is a power running game coach. His teams WILL run over you who ever you are. same deal, and I see it as a opportunity to (re)build an identity.
On recruiting he knows the Cali. on being fun, nothing is more fun than winning big games and goin’ bowlin’.
I think identity is overrated
I just want someone who will win a lot, offensive schemes be damned. The only identity I want to maintain is never having scheduled a 1-AA (FCS) team.
by discovolante on Oct 21, 2008 6:19 PM PDT up reply actions
Hill is ok.
But hiring him would leave us with an average football team for the duration of his tenure. A 57 year old who has had just one head coaching job and has only one conference title to boot? Not very exciting. We’d be better off rolling the dice on a hot assistant than settling.
"Greed is Good."
So is Rudy.
Top Three should be Four
Chris Petersen has to be in the top group. He’d be perfect.
Pat Hill should be on the list, but closer to the bottom than the top.
"Bow Down to Washington"
"Kick the tires and light the fires!"
Don James
Pat Hill is about as sexy as Don James. Barbera would have never hired James. She wanted the young guy’s. My only question is how hard would Hill work to turn the program around? Is his desire to golf more important than football, or is golf a part of the job discription?
Hill
would hit the street recruiting not taking a month off to be in Hawai’i coaching an all-star game and golfing.
In two years we would be watching a team starting to resemble James’ teams in toughness and tenacity
why do you think that?
he’s only won the WAC one time in 11 years? That is the same number of Pac 10 titles that Ty has won in the same time period. Mediocrity is mediocrity.
"Greed is Good."
So is Rudy.
Tedford
Tedford is known as one of the hardest working coaches in the country.
Hill doesn’t excite me, but he is a proven coach who knows the West Coast.
Can we really have a coach who sports a wicked Fu Man Chu?
Ty was a proven coach who knew the West Coast, too.
I don’t see that as a criterion as much as a bonus.
Like I doubt someone such as Muschamp would have any difficulty hitting the ground running if he got the Washington job. He has the charisma and coaching gravitas to make up for any lack of “experience” in the region.
by discovolante on Oct 22, 2008 12:24 AM PDT up reply actions
exactly right.
when the only arguments you can make for Hill are the exact same arguments made for Ty a few years ago, it is hard to see the upside.
KirkD’s argument below is not that convincing, either. Lambright’s record looks downright awesome compared to Gilby & Ty … but I still remember him as a middling coach who couldn’t get it all together during his time.
"Greed is Good."
So is Rudy.
Life-support?
Fresno State was on “life support” after some “awful” seasons under Jim Sweeney? Admittedly, 5-7-1, 5-7 & 4-7 is not good, but it’s also not what I’d describe as on “life support” or “awful” – that’d be 2-8, 5-7, 4-8 & 1-11.
Hill has done a great job at Fresno, arguably better than Sweeney when you consider the level of opponents each faced. But let’s not go too far in trying to pump up Hill’s accomplishments.
Kirk D- That was the opinion of the FSU blogger not myself. I always thought of Sweeney as the architect of the Fresno program and he handed Hill a pretty well stocked cupboard.
Dave- I agree, one WAC title isn’t good enough and I think they lost to Hawaii earlier this year.
Gekko- He does remind me of Lambo.
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