NWCC hires Hill as offensive coordinator
Published 12:01 pm Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Oxford’s football team lost another member of its coaching staff Monday.
Stan Hill has been hired as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Northwest Mississippi Community College, becoming one of the first additions to first-year coach Benjy Parker’s staff. Hill spent the last seven seasons on the Chargers’ staff, the last five as the offensive coordinator.
Hill is the son of former Oxford head coach Johnny Hill, who retired in December. With his father done at Oxford, the younger Hill said he was going to get out of coaching, too, until the position at NWCC came open.
“(Coaching) is what I was wanting to do. The teaching part was just always something I didn’t really like,” said Hill, who didn’t teach in the Oxford School District but was working toward his teaching certificate. “With dad getting out, I really halfway through the season … I love getting up and going to football every day, and I started thinking if I could get something where I could still support my family.”
Parker was promoted to head coach last month after Jack Wright resigned after leading NWCC to the junior college national championship to take a job as Southern Miss’ offensive line coach. Wright, whose tenure lasted just two years, also oversaw the Rangers’ offense.
Hill put in his application and said he and Parker “meshed real well in our interview.” Hill received word from Parker on Monday the job was his, making him the second Oxford assistant to land another job in the last month. Defensive line coach Terrence Metcalf was hired as Pearl River CC’s offensive line coach.
“Northwest was one of those jobs that it’s crazy how things work sometimes,” Hill said. “All I can say is that I’m blessed, and things worked out for me. I thank Northwest and Benjy for offering me the opportunity.”
It’s just the second coaching job for Hill, who played his high school ball at Tupelo and quarterbacked Marshall in college before joining Oxford’s staff in 2009 after a brief stint in arena football.Hill oversaw one of the state’s most prolific offenses with Oxford coming off three straight trips to the Class 5A state championship game and hopes to continue that in Senatobia with a key piece returning in quarterback Gardner Minshew, who earned NJCAA All-America honorable mention honors as a freshman.
“It’s definitely going to be an offensive-friendly system,” Hill said. “We’re going to try to put up points and put up yards similar to Oxford. Some really good players there right now man. Saw them (Monday) working out, and it’s a lot of talent.
“(Parker) is going to let the offense do what we do, and that’s awesome as an OC. You get to run what you want to run and do what you want to do. You can’t beat that.”