Fitz Hill

Fitzgerald Hill (born March 28, 1964) is a college administrator and former American football player and coach. He is currently the president of Arkansas Baptist College. Hill served as the head football coach at San Jose State University from 2001 to 2004, compiling a record of 14–33.

Born to James and Mary Hill, the youngest of three brothers, Fitz Hill grew up in the Ouachitas around Arkadelphia, Arkansas. His father routinely worked 14-hour days, leaving his job at the Arkadelphia Beverage Co. to work as a janitor in the evening; His mother, a high school registrar, also did volunteer work with local college students and kids at her church. As a student, Hill was elected class president of Arkadelphia High School.^[1] Hill earned an athletic scholarship to Northeast Louisiana University (now University of Louisiana at Monroe), then a Division I-AA school, playing wide receiver on the football team. In 1983, while a college freshman, his father died of stomach cancer and, six weeks later, his mother had an aneurysm and then, 10 days after that, a stroke that left her partially paralyzed and unable to speak. Hill left school to help take care of his mother and put his family's affairs in order.^[1] To return to school, Hill enrolled at hometown Ouachita Baptist University, working retail and joining the Army ROTC for financial support. He continued to play football and was a NAIA All-American; he graduated with bachelor degrees in Communications and Physical Education.^[1][2] He received a masters degree in Student Personnel Services from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana, where he served as a graduate assistant football coach during the 1988 football season.^[2][3]

During the early years of his coaching career, Hill's career was briefly interrupted by military service during the Gulf War, where he was a transportation officer. He coordinated the transportation of rations and supplies to American troops participating in Desert Shield and Desert Storm; during this time he was promoted to first lieutenant and received the Bronze Star and Commendation Medal.^[1][2][3]

Afterward, Hill returned to a role as an assistant coach and counselor at the University of Arkansas for the 1991 football season. He briefly coached at Utah State University before returning to Arkansas in March 1992, in time for the 1992 football season. The Razorbacks' 1992 season proved to be disastrous: immediately after losing the opening game of the season to a lower-division team, Arkansas athletic director Frank Broyles fired head coach Jack Crowe. In the aftermath, Hill and the other assistant coaches waited to individually find out if they were to be retained by the new interim head coach or not. Although Hill was retained, he decided to pursue further education to create job stability in case he was fired at a later date.^[4] In 1997, Hill received his Doctorate of Education from Arkansas; his doctoral thesis examined the "barriers restricting employment opportunities" for African American coaches.^[1][2] Serving under four consecutive Arkansas head coaches: Crowe, Joe Kines, Danny Ford, and Houston Nutt, Hill became the receivers coach and recruiting coordinator, and later assistant head football coach under Nutt from 1998-2000.^[3][4]

In December 2000, Hill was hired as the head coach of San Jose State, becoming only the 17th African-American to coach at the highest level of college football and one of the few coaches at that level with a doctorate. He resigned after 14 wins in four seasons.^[5]

Hill returned to Arkansas in December 2004, becoming executive director of the Ouachita Opportunity Fund at Ouachita Baptist University as well as co-founder and co-general manager of Life Champs Sports, a youth sports program headquartered in Little Rock.^[6][3] From 2004 to 2006, he was a visiting scholar and research associate at the University of Central Florida's DeVos Sport Business Management Program.^[5] During his time at San Jose State, Hill created the Delta Classic: a college football game between historically black colleges held annually in Little Rock, Arkansas.^[7] While raising support for the Delta Classic, Hill contacted Arkansas Baptist College (ABC) to speak with their president and found out they, at the time, did not have one. After giving his presentation on the Delta Classic to the school's board of trustees, they offered him the position of school president and he accepted.^[4]

At the time Hill took over at ABC, there was no salary budgeted to pay him and the school's enrollment had dipped to fewer than 200 students; the college was in danger of being stripped of its accreditation by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. In five years, the school grew enrollment to 1,100 students, its budget $2 million to nearly $20 million, and kept its accreditation; Hill then drew a salary.^[5]

Personal life

Hill is a devout Christian.^[5] He married fellow Ouachita Baptist classmate, Cynthia Hill; she was born in Italy to an American military serviceman and an Italian mother. She received her doctorate not long after her husband and is currently in charge of Institutional Advancement at ABC. The couple has three children.^[4]

Head coaching record

References

External links

• Fitz Hill at the College Football Data Warehouse