EDINBURG — When asked about what Lew Hill means to them, current and former players of the late UTRGV men’s head basketball coach have plenty to say about their mentor on and away from the court.
Hill, who died unexpectedly in his sleep Feb. 7, left a legacy with many of his current players as a leader who transcended the game he loved.
“Coach meant a lot to me, actually. He just really wanted the best for everybody off the court and that’s what really stood out to me,” said senior point guard Javon Levi, who was one of Hill’s first recruits at UTRGV.
“Ever since I stepped foot on campus, it’s always been about life and life lessons. He used to preach to me when I was a freshman and a sophomore, ‘You don’t understand until later.’ There was a lot of knowledge that he gave off. Even though you probably didn’t understand it, he just wanted the best for you, no matter what it was.”
Hill gained a reputation on the recruiting trail as one of the most genuine and down-to-earth Division I head coaches across the college basketball landscape.
His charisma and sincerity helped convince several of UTRGV’s star players to jump at the opportunity to relocate to a school in a part of South Texas many had never heard of.
“I’m from Killeen, Texas — five hours away from here — and I didn’t know anything about McAllen, Edinburg or the Valley. To me then, after San Antonio, it was over,” Levi said. “He called me and the more I talked to Coach Hill, he just seemed like a real genuine guy. I remember that’s what I told my dad when I got off the phone. I told him he seems really genuine and real.”
Hill is also remembered as a coach who gave many players second chances through the transfer portal, like junior forwards Sean Rhea and Marek Nelson, and helped give them direction during difficult times that went beyond the Xs and Os of basketball.
“I remember when I was transferring and trying to figure out what I was going to do and where I was going to go, I hopped on the phone with Coach Hill for the first time. It was just a different vibe than any other time I’ve had a conversation with a coach whether on the phone or in person,” Nelson said.
“He said that he kind of got the impression that I didn’t know what I wanted to do and I wasn’t really trying to come here. He called me out on it over the phone without even really knowing me, but that’s the kind of guy he was. He said, ‘I don’t want to be anybody’s second option. I want guys who want to come here.’ For him to say that was a big deal to me because I feel like most coaches wouldn’t be that honest with you like that. He just called it for what it is, let me know how he felt about the situation and I stuck with him because that’s the type of guy he was.”
Hill’s commanding presence in the locker room and on the sidelines is something his players say will always stick with them and characterized his unique style of leadership on the court.
Levi remembers a 2019 game at New Mexico State when he got ejected after getting into a verbal scrap with the opposing bench and Hill had his back.
“That was my favorite memory because that just really shows who Coach Hill is. I was in the wrong to do that, but right or wrong, Coach Hill was going to fight for me and that’s what he’s done for me ever since I’ve been here,” Levi said. “He fought for me whatever I’m going through or if I needed something, he was going to fight for people. Whether he was right or wrong, he was going to fight for you and that’s something he told me when he called me and recruited me. He really stood on his word.”
Rhea remembers an ecstatic Hill turned a locker-room celebration with the team after a 2020 win over Western Athletic Conference rival Grand Canyon into a moment that unified the group.
“He came in the locker room really excited and dancing,” Rhea said. “He used to say, ‘If we win, I don’t want to see any sad faces.’ That always stuck with me because no matter what happened in the game or what was going on within yourself, we wanted to be one.”
What stood out most to many Vaqueros players, though, was how Hill carried himself away from the court and the life lessons he instilled in his players.
Hill frequently encouraged his players to talk to him one-on-one about basketball and life and even assigned his players specific books to read and broaden their horizons, quizzing them on their thoughts.
“If you had a question, you could go to him and be honest with him. We could always go into his office and get his insights on things that we’re going through,” Nelson said. “I would say he was more of a life coach than a basketball coach. Basketball was always his thing, but life was always bigger than that.”
What endeared Hill most to his players, however, was his return to coach his team for one more game against Texas Southern before he was set to take a planned leave of absence to focus on his health.
“He was facing adversity and I didn’t know how bad the adversity was, but it was life-threatening and he just kept pushing,” Rhea said. “He always told us, ‘No matter what’s going on in your life, you’ve always got to fight. No matter what life throws at you, you’ve got to be ready to fight whether it’s positive or negative. You’ve got to fight for what you want and fight to be a good man.’”
“The last time he coached us, he told us it was going to be his last game. He said, ‘I’m battling some stuff right now, but I’m not going to ever ask, ‘Why me?’ And I’m going to take it as I go. That’s what I want you guys to do. Be fighters and continue to be good men,’” sophomore forward Quinton Johnson said. “I feel like that was big and he didn’t let anything stop him from doing what he loved to do. He worked hard enough to get to the position he was in as a DI head coach. I feel like that’s how he wanted to finish living his life. … I think he enjoyed his last days doing what he loved to do.
“He came with us to go play that game against Texas Southern and he was tired, but he didn’t show it. He stood his ground and I think he was a good leader for that.”
The loss of Hill still weighs heavily on the hearts of many Vaqueros, but all expressed their gratitude to their mentor and leader who gave them chances that others would not in life and in basketball.
“If I could tell Coach Hill one last thing, I would just say thank you for the opportunity,” Nelson said. “I’d say, ‘Thank you for being you and never changing and staying solid.’”
“I used to tell Coach (Hill) thank you a lot, but I don’t think I ever got to tell him like I really wanted to or maybe I could’ve told him more,” Levi said. “I wanted to let him know how much he actually did mean and get my point across. I think he knew but I didn’t get to express how much he truly meant to me and this team.”
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Twitter: @ByAndyMcCulloch
