Courtesy of Maryland Jap Shore Athletics
PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland –The College of Maryland Jap Shore Division of Intercollegiate Athletics has introduced the hiring of present (Winston-Salem State College) WSSU head coach Cleo Hill, Jr. as its head males’s basketball coach.
“We’re enthusiastic about the way forward for Hawk basketball as we welcome Cleo Hill, Jr. to the College of Maryland Jap Shore. Throughout our nationwide search, the hiring committee obtained an inflow of curiosity from certified candidates. After an intensive and well timed evaluation of every candidate, Coach Hill stood out as the best individual to steer our males’s basketball program,” Vice President of Athletics Tara A. Owens stated. “Coach Hill has a confirmed observe of constructing successful packages with success at Cheyney, Shaw and Winston-Salem State. He has an incredible fame as a coach and has an awesome imaginative and prescient for Hawk basketball. Underneath his management, we are going to proceed to achieve new heights of success on the court docket, within the classroom, and locally.”
A veteran coach, Hill involves the College of Maryland Jap Shore with 17 seasons of head teaching expertise together with a wide range of assistant teaching roles and a formidable collegiate enjoying profession at North Carolina Central College.
Hill spent the earlier six seasons as the pinnacle coach of the Rams at Winston-Salem State College.
Final season, Hill led Winston-Salem State College to a 19-9 general document together with an ideal 6-0 document within the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Affiliation Northern Division. With the highest document within the CIAA, the Rams had been ranked within the D2CSC Atlantic Ballot eight occasions. Hill developed two All-CIAA alternatives in Jaylen Alston and Isaac Parson. Alston was additionally tabbed CIAA Participant of the Yr. As well as, Imajae Dodd was named CIAA Defensive Participant of the Yr and Hill earned CIAA Coach of the Yr honors. Earlier in Might of this 12 months, Hill was chosen to educate and maintain on-court basketball classes on the NBA Draft Mix in Chicago, Illinois.
Hill guided the Winston-Salem State College to a 21-9 ledger in 2022-2023 on the best way to capturing the CIAA Event title and incomes an look within the NCAA Div. II match. Participant standouts beneath Hill’s tutelage included CIAA Event MVP Jaylen Alston and All-CIAA choice Jaylon Gibson. Hill was additionally chosen by WSSU Athletic Director Etienne Thomas to take part in Management Winston-Salem, a 9-month management program designed to teach, join, and energize leaders to serve and enhance the neighborhood. On the finish of the 2023 season, Hill was named to the North Carolina Black Enterprise Energy 100 Checklist.
Regardless of essentially the most unsure of occasions popping out of a canceled 2020-21 season resulting from Covid-19, the Rams 2021-22 season was unwavering as they clinched a Southern Division title ending the common season with an 18-7 document whereas Hill secured his two hundredth profession head teaching victory. Hill helped develop Cameron Campbell and Javante Cooke who each earned All-CIAA choice. Cooke additionally secured a spot on the HBCU All-Star Workforce and was finally drafted to the G-League.
In his second 12 months because the WSSU head coach, Hill led the group to its first CIAA championship in eight years with a 19-10 general document. Along with the group’s match championship, the Rams additionally claimed a share of the 2019-20 CIAA Southern Division Championship whereas Hill was named the CIAA Coach of the Yr. WSSU additionally made their first journey to the NCAA Division II Atlantic Area Event since 2013.
Previous to taking the reins of the WSSU program, Hill was an entrepreneur, serving as a basketball coach for 3 years together with working a number of basketball camps via Breakthrough Basketball.
Hill spent seven seasons as the pinnacle coach at Shaw College from 2008 to 2015. Underneath Hill’s management, the Bears went 116-67 general document. Hill’s most profitable run with the Bears included the 2011-2012 season through which Shaw went 27-4 general together with an undefeated common season within the CIAA with a 16-0 document whereas incomes a Southern Division crown and an NCAA match at-large bid. The group superior to the Atlantic Regional remaining and concluded the season ranked No. 5 within the nation. Throughout his time because the Shaw head coach, Hill developed CIAA Participant of the Yr and Atlantic Area Participant of the Yr Malik Alvin and All-CIAA choice Tony Smith. Hill was additionally named CIAA Coach of the Yr and BOXTOROW Coach of the Yr.
On their solution to a 23-9 document in 2010-2011, the Bears received the CIAA title whereas Raheem Smith earned CIAA match MVP. Smith together with teammate Tony Smith had been chosen to the All-CIAA Workforce. Hill was acknowledged for his Workforce’s achievements by being named NSAA/NCAA DII Clarence Massive Home Gaines Coach of the Yr and BOXTOROW Coach of the Yr.
Hill’s head teaching profession started at Cheyney College. Serving as the pinnacle coach of the Wolves from 2003 to 2008, Hill made a right away influence. In his first season, the Wolves went 23-8 general and received the Jap Division title with a 10-2 document. Hill’s Wolves led the convention in scoring with 82 factors per sport led by East Participant of the Yr Anthony Frazier.
Earlier than acquiring his first head coach place, Cleo Hill Jr. hung out as an assistant coach with Shaw College from 2000 to 2002. Hill supported the group as they clinched a CIAA Championship whereas advancing to the ultimate discipline of 4 groups within the NCAA Div. II match. As well as, Hill assisted within the growth of Ronald “Flip” Murray, who was voted CIAA Participant of the 12 months and Division II Participant of the Yr. Murray went on to be drafted in 2002 because the forty second general decide of the Milwaukee Bucks.
From 1998 to 2000, Hill was the assistant coach on the College of Nebraska the place the group earned an NIT bid through the 1998-99 season. As well as, Hill’s first recruiting class at Nebraska was ranked prime 20 within the nation.
Previous to Nebraska, Hill was an assistant coach at Mount Zion Christian Academy in Durham from 1996 to 97, the place he helped coach the No. 1 ranked highschool participant within the nation, lottery decide, and future NBA Corridor of Fame inductee Tracy McGrady. Whereas at Mount Zion Christian Academy, Hill was a part of a group that went 26-3 whereas being ranked No. 1 within the nation.
Hill’s first assistant teaching place was at his highschool alma mater, Orange Excessive College in Orange, New Jersey from 1991 to 1994. Previous to embarking on his teaching profession, Hill performed two seasons of semiprofessional basketball abroad.
Cleo Hill Jr. is a graduate of North Carolina Central College the place he earned South Atlantic Area All-Event group honors as a senior and continues to be among the many faculty’s all-time main scorers after eclipsing the 1,000-point milestone in school. Hill was additionally a standout basketball participant at Orange Excessive College from 1980 to 1984 and obtained a number of basketball honors together with All-Metropolis, All-County, and All-State honors. He eclipsed 1,000 factors scored and ranks among the many prime ten scorers at school historical past. He was later inducted into the Orange Excessive College Sports activities Corridor of Fame.
Initially from Orange, New Jersey, Hill is the son of 2017 Nationwide Collegiate Basketball Corridor of Fame inductee Cleo Hill, Sr., a guard who scored 2,488 factors in his profession at Winston-Salem State Instructor’s School, now WSSU. The elder Hill went on to be the eighth general decide within the 1961 NBA draft by the St. Louis Hawks, the primary participant from an HBCU taken within the first spherical.
“I’m prepared for the chance to steer our males’s basketball program on the College of Maryland Jap Shore. I recognize the campus neighborhood, President Heidi M. Anderson, Vice President Tara Owens and the search committee for his or her efforts all through the hiring course of,” says Hill. “My previous experiences and success in addition to my ardour for constructing packages have ready me for this subsequent step in my teaching profession. Our aim is to construct Hawk basketball right into a perennial championship contender whereas successful within the classroom and positively representing UMES locally. I’m enthusiastic in regards to the future and sit up for growing a group that our alumni, scholar physique and followers shall be pleased with.”
Hill takes over a UMES program coming off a 9-20 season with a 4-10 mark in convention play.
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