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On top of the Hill

Published 2/4/2010 in Prep-Garden City

By JASON ELMQUIST

jelmquist@gctelegram.com

Garden City High School has its new head football coach -- pending the approval of the school board at its Feb. 15 meeting.

Brian Hill, who has served as the offensive coordinator the last three years at Garden City Community College, was announced as GCHS' recommendation for the position at a press conference this morning. Not only is the coach new to the high school, but he will be new to the head coaching rankings.

"I'm proud that one of my last official duties here as athletics director to be naming a new football coach," said Bill Weatherly, who will be retiring in June. "Brian interviewed along with six other candidates last week. All seven candidates were excellent candidates. ... Brian was the top of the top and we are very pleased to have him here."

Hill has no head coaching experience, but has been on the sidelines of junior college football staffs for the past 15 years -- at Hutchinson Community College from 1995-1999 and has been at GCCC since 2000.

"As my career has progressed, I've obviously wanted to become a head coach," Hill said. "Over the last couple of years, I've spent a lot of time in high schools with recruiting. I didn't really have that desire early in my career to be a high school coach, but the opportunity came up and I just wanted to be a head coach -- and a program like Garden City High School, it was really a no-brainer for me."

According to GCHS principal James Mireles, Hill's roots in southwest Kansas seemed to be a big factor in the committee's selection.

"He came to the top because he understands southwest Kansas and southwest Kansas kids," Mireles said, "and I think that's important in taking over a school like ours in that job."

Taking over a program that has missed the playoffs the last three years, Hill understands that there will be plenty of pressure coming in.

"Nobody will put more pressure on me, than I will," Hill said. "I expect greatness. It doesn't really matter what's been done here in the past as far as not making the playoffs. It's our goal to build tradition, re-establish the tradition that has been here for a long time and get ourselves to the playoffs and be a factor in the playoffs."

According to Hill, priority No. 1 isn't quite as grand as the playoffs: return the hatchet to Garden City

"That's No. 1," Hill said. "We don't need to let it leave the trophy case once it comes back. That is priority No. 1. ... Garden has held that hatchet for a long time and it has been away two years too long and it needs to get back here."

Hill said he does plan on using former head coach Mike Smith in some way, though he's unsure at the moment what role that may be.

"I don't know what coach Smith's role will be, but he's been very helpful just to this point with me in conversations and learning more about the program," Hill said. "It will be a huge advantage to still have him here, for me, being new to the high school and needing to understand some things. He's going to be a big crutch to be able to lean on. What he's officially going to do, I don't know right now. It's going to be a little up to him with how much he wants to be involved."

Hill is a 1990 Holcomb High School graduate and was a quarterback at Garden City Community College, where he got his associate of science degree. He then played at Emporia State University, where he received his bachelor's of science in education.

GCCC head coach Lucas Aslin, along with members of his staff, and GCCC athletics director Bob Larson -- who was on the interviewing committee for the coaching position along with Mireles, Weatherly, incoming A.D. Martin Segovia and Garden City businessman Steve Spellman, among others -- were on hand to support Hill.

"I'm really excited for coach Hill. Brian's done a great job for me," Aslin said. "It's going to be weird going to that offensive coach and him not being there. ... I'm just so proud of Brian. He's done a great job and he deserves this job. He's worked his butt off trying to get this and he's the right guy for the job."

Aslin plans on getting things rolling right away with finding a new offensive coordinator to replace Hill.

"I've been there since 2005 and he was there before I got there. I've never known Garden City Community College without coach Hill," Aslin said. "We've got a big spot to fill with him leaving. He's done a great job for me, offensively, and a lot of other things that people don't see in recruiting and everything else. ... He'll still be with us for a couple of weeks in tying some things up.

"I know a bunch of guys and we'll look for someone to keep things going offensively."

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