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COACHES BIOS COACHES BIOS THE PAT HILL FILE FRESNO STATE PAT HILL program is nationally recognized for its success in all areas: wins and bowl games appearances, academic achievement and character of the young men who've come through the program. Under Hill, the program has received national attention and With great vision, an unparalleled work ethic and pas- sion for the Valley, Pat Hill's stamp on the Fresno State football program is undeniable. After 14 years, the Bulldog is recognized as a premier program. He is recognized as an elite coach, having been selected to coach in college all-star games twice in the last six seasons. The success stories are many, but what's most impressive is the consistent and unwavering com- mitment to the principles he established over a decade ago. The 'Dogs continue to play a rigorous non-conference schedule, play a tough "hard nosed" brand of football on the field, recruit Valley high school players and set an "Academic Gameplan" that sees student-athletes through to graduation. Hill's program has grown accustomed of being in the national spotlight. Never was it brighter than in 2001 when Hill guided the program to unprecedented heights - 11 wins, a bowl invitation, a top 10 ranking, wins over Wisconsin, Colorado and Oregon State, another record-setting attendance mark and a Sports Illustrated cover story. With over 70 national television appearances since 2000, college football fans from around the country know about the Bulldog program. just an indication of greater things to come. His motto of "Build- ing a New Tradition on a National Level" is stronger now than ever, especially after winning 17 games against BCS teams since 2000 – among the highest of any non-BCS teams in the country. Among those victories are four recent bowl wins against Georgia Tech (twice), UCLA and No. 18 Virginia. Hill has also taken the Bulldogs to new heights in the Western Athletic Conference. His overall league record of 78-33 is one of the best in the WAC as he is the dean of WAC football coaches. The 59-year-old Hill was the Bulldogs' recruiting coordinator would have been happy to remain in the NFL had the Fresno State job not opened a possibility for him. Hill began his coaching career as offensive line coach at Los Angeles Valley College from 1974-76, helping the Mon- archs to a state junior college championship in 1975. He then served as offensive line coach at Utah from 1977-80 under Wayne Howard; was offensive line coach and offensive coordinator at UNLV from 1981-82 under Tony Knapp; and was offensive co- ordinator with the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL in 1983 under Jack Gotta. The list of players recruited and signed by Hill at the collegiate level is impressive. Under his leadership, such greats as David Carr, Ryan Mathews, Richard Marshall, Logan Mankins, James Sanders, Alan Harper, Rodney Wright, Randall Cunningham, Tra- cy Rogers, Ron Cox, Aaron Craver, Marquez Pope, Lorenzo Neal, Jethro Franklin, Tony Brown, J.D. Williams, Mike Withycombe, Michael Stewart, John Fina and Tedy Bruschi all were inked to letters of intent. Despite these lofty achievements, Hill is still adamant this is conference center, earning All-America honors as a senior. He was inducted into the UC Riverside Hall of Fame in 1989. It was at UC Riverside where he crossed paths with Ron McBride, then a UCR assistant and formerly the Utah head coach, who helped steer Hill into a football coaching career. In August, Hill and Fresno State agreed to a new contract to keep him on the sidelines through the 2013 season. Hill and his wife, Cathy, have three children. Their eldest, Mi- A 1973 graduate of UC Riverside, Hill was a three-time all- chael, is a recent graduate of Fresno State. Zak is a senior safety on the Bulldog squad and Matt, who played at Cal Poly until a career-ending injury, is a college student in southern California. Hill was born Dec. 17, 1951, in Los Angeles. ACADEMIC SUCCESS from 1984-89, a six-year period in which Fresno State was 53-16- 1, averaged nearly nine wins per season, captured three league titles and won three bowl games. During that six-year stint as the recruiting coordinator and line coach under former head coach Jim Sweeney, Hill contributed at a championship level. In addition to the conference crowns and bowl victories, the Bulldogs saw 14 players drafted by NFL teams, including the likes of J.D. Williams, Ron Cox, Michael Stewart and Aaron Craver. Fresno State's 1985 team was the only unbeaten Division I-A squad in the country, finishing the season 16th in the polls. Hill's offensive line also pro- vided the pass protection and run blocking for an offensive unit that averaged 32 points per game over those six seasons, includ- ing a nation-leading 41 points per game in '85. Success continued for Hill when he moved on to the University of Arizona as Dick Tomey's offensive coordinator and offensive line coach in 1990 and '91. In just his first season, the Wildcats went 7-5 and played in the Aloha Bowl. Both seasons, the 'Cats finished in the top five of the Pac-10 in rushing offense, averaging nearly 200 yards per game on the ground. Four players earned first-team All-Pac-10 honors in his two seasons, and offensive lineman John Fina was a first round NFL draft choice. When he left Arizona, he did so to realize another career goal -- coaching in the National Football League. Hill joined the Cleve- land Browns in 1992 and spent five seasons in the organization, coaching tight ends and offensive line in addition to working in the personnel department evaluating players. While there, he formed a life-lasting friendship with Bill Belichick, whom Hill credits for teaching him with a structure that has proven successful. Hill Hill kept his promise when he was hired to shore up the team's academic woes. One of the first projects he brought to the table is well underway with positive results coming in droves. Academic Gameplan, the brainchild of John Baxter, Hill's associate head coach, was touted early in the building stages in the program, not as a quick fix-all to placate university professors, but instead to make sure academics are first priority. He has accomplished much in a short time. The team GPA has risen from a 2.21 to a 2.87. He produced the first Academic All-American in the pro- gram's history in 1999, senior cornerback Payton Williams. In 14 years, the program has produced 141 Academic All-WAC selec- tions, most in the conference during that time. Prior to Hill's arriv- al, Fresno State had produced a total of nine Academic All-WAC selections. In four of the last five years, Fresno State has led the WAC in Academic All-WAC selections, producing an all-time high of 18 in 2009 and 2010. • NCAA APR of 952 ranked fourth-best among Division 1A public schools in the west, • • • A total of 141Academic All-WAC Selections (most in the WAC) Fresno State has produced 122 Academic All-WAC selections this decade, the only school in league his tory with more than 100 in any decade. • Vernon Fox (2001) and Moses Harris (2009) received a National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame postgraduate scholarship Awards, giving Fresno State more award winners this decade that the four Pac-10 California schools (Cal, Stanford, UCLA, USC) have combined Four Academic All-Americans: Vince Pascoe, second team in 2010; Andrew Jackson, first team in 2009; Robert Malone, second team in 2009; Payton Williams, second team in 1999. They are the only players in school history ever honored. • • Kicker Clint Stitser was selected the 2007 Dean's Medal Winner from the Craig School of Business as the top graduating senior, was a semifinalist for the Draddy Award (Academic Heisman) and a finalist for the Wuerffel Trophy, which honors athletic, aca demic and community service. ANYBODY, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE Hill's accomplishments are remarkable, considering the rigor- ous non-conference schedule Fresno State has played since his arrival. In the last nine years, Fresno State has played 42 bowl opponents, including 22 the past four seasons. Of the team's 32 losses since 2002, 27 were to teams which 2011 68 FOOTBALL HEAD COACH .............................. FIFTEENTH YEAR 2003), Georgia Tech (2002 and 2007), UCLA (2003 and 2008), Washington, Kansas State and Virginia in 2004, Kansas State and Rutgers in 2008, Illinois in 2009 and defending Big East champion Cincinnati and Illinois this season. The majority of those games were on the road. As for the victories over the Yellow Jackets, Bruins and Cavaliers, those wins came in bowl games. Fresno State's 17 wins over BCS schools in the last eight years ranks among the best of any non-BCS school. The Bulldogs are also the only non-BCS school to own three consecutive bowl victories over BCS schools. "We could win a lot of games if we schedule ourselves that way," Hill says. "Our program has to play the best and beat the best to be considered the best. That's how we are building our entire program, to reach that level of respect and success." more important are the victories. Since 2000, the Bulldogs have defeated 17 BCS Conference opponents - California in 2000 and Colorado, Wisconsin and Oregon State (2001 and HILL AMONG WAC'S FINEST As Pat Hill concludes his 14th season at Fresno State, here's a look at what's he's accomplished and how it compares to other WAC coaching legends. .................................................... COACHING EXPERIENCE 1997-PRESENT FRESNO STATE HEAD COACH 1996 BALTIMORE RAVENS (NFL) ASST. COACH (TIGHT ENDS/OFF. LINE) 1992-95 CLEVELAND BROWNS (NFL) ASST. COACH (TIGHT ENDS/OFF. LINE) 1990-91 ARIZONA WILDCATS (NCAA ASST. COACH (OFF. LINE/OFF. COORD.) 1984-89 FRESNO STATE BULLDOGS (NCAA) ASST. COACH (OFF. LINE/RECRUITING COORD.) 1983 CALGARY STAMPEDERS (CFL) ASST. COACH (OFF. COORD./RUNNING BACKS/OFF. LINE) Lineman Kevin Cooper was selected the 2006 President's Medal Winner as the top graduating senior at Fresno State. 1981-82 UNLV REBELS (NCAA) ASST. COACH (OFF., RECRUITING COORD./OFF. LINE) 1977-80 UTAH UTES (NCAA) RECRUITING COORD./OFF. LINE 1974-76 LA VALLEY COLLEGE (JC) OFF. LINE COACH 2012 69 MOST WINS 1. LaVell Edwards, BYU (1972-98) .................................243 4. PAT HILL, FRESNO STATE (1997-P) .....................108 MOST BOWL GAMES 1. LaVell Edwards, BYU (1972-98) ...................................21 2. PAT HILL, FRESNO STATE (1997-P) .......................11 3. Fisher DeBerry, Air Force (1984-98) .............................10 4. Frank Kush, Arizona State (1962-77) .............................6 BUILDING AND GROWING Hill talks of adding seats to Bulldog Stadium and continuing to take on the toughest non-conference teams in the nation. By looking at what he has accomplished in this decade, one has to believe he can achieve anything. Under Hill's guidance, the Dun- can Building training room has been tripled in size with additional taping stations, rehabilitation pools and a private doctor's office. Also constructed were two lighted practice fields and an adjacent weight room, which provides the Bulldogs with a facility that rivals any NFL training facility. A tireless worker, Hill has been a produc- tive fundraiser. He has spearheaded capital projects on campus, including the new Ricchiutti Academic Center, which benefits all student-athletes at Fresno State, and the Duncan Building ex- pansion, which includes a new football locker room, coaching offices, team meeting rooms and an auditorium style theater. Hill has championed the Green V Society, a new fundraising level in the Bulldog Foundation designed to generate funds for the athletics department. TAKING IT TO ANOTHER LEVEL When Hill was hired, he promised to win games and championships. He has done that. After taking over a program that hadn't won more than five games the three previous seasons, Hill won six games his first season and won a share of the WAC Championship and received a berth in the EA Sports Las Vegas Bowl in year three. He has done this while playing some of the top programs in the nation. With perennial bowl teams UCLA, Colorado, Wisconsin, No. 1 Oklahoma, Tennes- see, Ohio State, No. 1 USC, No. 3 LSU, Kansas State, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington and Colorado State, the Bulldogs have played as tough a schedule as anyone. Fresno State has played the most BCS opponents of any non-BCS school since the 2001. • Set a school record with seven consecutive bowl appearances, including victories over Georgia Tech, UCLA and Virginia. • A No. 8 national ranking in 2001, the highest ever by a Fresno State team and at the time, the highest by a non-BCS school. • A year-end national ranking of No. 22 in 2004, 2. Frank Kush, Arizona State (1962-77) .........................133 3. Fisher DeBerry, Air Force (1984-98) ...........................120 played in a bowl game or were nationally ranked. But • School-record 11 wins in 2001 • 15 wins over BCS schools since 2001, second- most of any non-BCS school • Produced 24 NFL draft picks the first time Fresno State ended the season in the national polls since 1993 • 10 bowl appearances in the last 11 seasons. • Produced at least one All-American in Eight of the last 11 years