EDINBURG - UT Rio Grande Valley announced on Thursday that Lew Hill, who is currently in his fifth season as an assistant coach at Oklahoma, is the new UTRGV men's basketball head coach.
Hill will begin his responsibilities at the conclusion of Oklahoma's NCAA Tournament run. Oklahoma is set to face Villanova in the Final Four on Saturday. With a win, Oklahoma will play for the NCAA Championship on Monday.
UTRGV Athletics will introduce Hill to the media and the public in a press conference at 2 p.m. (CT) on Wednesday, April 6. The press conference can be viewed live online at www.utrgv.edu/live.
“Hiring a coach of this caliber, one who will be coaching in the Final Four this weekend, is a testament to the excitement and expectations surrounding UTRGV and our athletics department,†UTRGV President Dr. Guy Bailey said. “This is truly an exciting time for our university, and we are thrilled that Coach Hill is joining the UTRGV family.â€
“Lew Hill is one of the top recruiters in the nation, but more importantly, within the state of Texas. He is a high character individual that brings a strong values system to our program," UTRGV Director of Athletics Chris King said. "Lew follows the Lon Kruger blueprint for success, which includes a culture that fits our culture. Lew understands the need and has the ability to develop meaningful relationships on campus, in the community and within the college basketball industry. His style of play features teams attacking on offense and defense, which brings an exciting brand of basketball to the Rio Grande Valley and the WAC.â€
“I'm very excited that Chris and Dr. Bailey have not only presented me with this opportunity, but are also trusting me to come and revitalize the program, bring great energy, and a winning attitude,†Hill said. “As I said to the team during my interview, the winning starts now. We're going to work hard and play hard and have fun. Fun is one of my favorite words because people tend to work hard when they're having fun.â€
This is Hill's 12th season working with Kruger, after spending seven seasons as an assistant coach at UNLV from 2004-11. During that time, UNLV went 161-71 (.694) while making six postseason appearances, including four NCAA Tournament appearances.
Prior to his time at UNLV, Hill was an assistant coach at Texas A&M for five seasons (1998-2003) and associate head coach (2003-04) for one. He previously spent four seasons as an assistant coach at East Carolina (1994-98) and two years as an assistant at Southeast Missouri State (1992-94). He also served as an assistant coach at South Alabama (1990-92).
Hill was an All-American point guard for San Jacinto Junior College in 1983-84, helping the Ravens to the national championship. He went on to earn All-Missouri Valley Conference accolades in 1987-88 as a senior at Wichita State while helping the Shockers to a 20-10 record and an NCAA Tournament appearance.
The Mount Vernon, N.Y., native graduated from Wichita State in 1988 with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. He played professionally in Germany for one season before beginning his coaching career.