Fresno State Athletics
Countdown to Kickoff: 8 Days
8/24/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 24, 2008
FRESNO, Calif. - As the Bulldogs prepare for seven road games this season, meticulous planning and long nights in the football offices are vital to successfully managing a Top 25 Division 1 college football team looking to make history.
Enter: Drew Hill
Hill handles everything from food, travel, and scholarship money to questions about class schedules and much more as Fresno State's football operations coordinator.
"Whenever they need something, they come to my office," Hill said. "Every three minutes my phone is ringing. I am kind of the go-between for a lot of different departments."
The rigors of hitting the road to play seven teams, including three marquee non-conference games in the first month of the season, is not lost on Hill, who by the way is not related to head football coach Pat Hill.
"This year is tough because we are going back to the East Coast more than once," Hill said. "By leaving the day before the game (for each away game), we get in during the late afternoon and then get the guys fed and off their feet to get their focus solely on football."
More than anything, it's the numbers that make football so much different than any other sport as roughly 125 players, coaches, and staff members travel with the team for road games. In addition, the requirements in the classroom don't stop for roadtrips.
"At the beginning of the season we give all the professors class schedules to tell them what dates they are going to be gone," Hill said. "We've had some guys go on the internet at the hotel to take classes online. In Hawai'i, we set up computers in their lab to register for classes. There are challenges, but we make it work."
Bulldog football is a brand. It involves toughness, aggressiveness, and a passion to play the game.
"We like guys who are tough, hard-nosed aggressive guys who love to play football," Hill, who assists head coach Pat Hill with recruiting, said. "This is a demanding program. You have got to love it to endure the challenges we place on the players."
As an Atlanta, Ga. native, Drew Hill's coaching roots take him back to the South, which is noticeable from the hint of a Southern accent still in his arsenal.
Hill earned a bachelor's degree in sports administration and a minor in business administration from Southern Mississippi, where he also served as the assistant director of football operations for three years as the Golden Eagles won the 2003 Conference USA championship and played in the Liberty Bowl. Before joining USM, Hill experienced Super Bowl XXXIII with the Atlanta Falcons as a college scouting assistant.
But the daily experience with student-athletes gives Hill the satisfaction of seeing the process where young men develop skills they will use the rest of their lives.
"I love being around them," Hill said. "I love seeing kids have a chance at college where if they didn't have football, they might not be here. And when they get here, seeing them succeed. The best thing is seeing them walk across that stage and graduate and going on and getting a job when they are done."
As a former baseball player, Hill enjoys finding time to play some softball and also hit the golf links when possible, but for now, he's focused on the current task at hand of being completely prepared for the season.
"It's going to be a good year," Hill said. "And hopefully we can run the table and make it happen."
Coming Tomorrow: 10 questions with Associate Head Coach and author of the "Academic Gameplan," John Baxter
"Join the State - Fresno State!" - The first Big Ten team will travel to the Valley on September 13th as the No. 25 `Dogs take on Wisconsin in the home opener at 7:30 pm. The game can be seen nationally on ESPN2. All tickets are on sale now. In the month of August, get your official Wisconsin game day t-shirt at the Bulldog Shop for only $10 with any purchase. To purchase tickets, click on the tickets icon at the top of this page, call the Bulldog Ticket Office at (559) 278-DOGS, or stop by the Bulldog Ticket Office.
