EDINBURG — UTRGV men’s basketball head coach Lew Hill, a long-time college basketball coach who took an active role in the Rio Grande Valley community, died unexpectedly in his sleep Sunday morning. He was 55.

Jeff Goodman of Stadium was first to report the news.

“Words cannot describe how any of us feel right now. Everyone in our department is devastated by this news,” UTRGV Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque said in a statement. “Coach Hill was an incredible human being. He was my close friend and a trusted colleague. He cared deeply about those around him, from his family, to his players, to his staff and really, everyone in the department and at UTRGV. We offer our deepest condolences to Renee and Coach Hill’s entire family during this unimaginable time.”

“This is a tragic loss, not only for the UTRGV community but for the entire Rio Grande Valley community,” UTRGV President Guy Bailey said in the statement. “Coach Hill was very involved in the community and always had a knack for making everyone he met feel special. On behalf of the entire university, we convey our heartfelt condolences to Coach Hill’s family and friends. Please keep them in your thoughts in the following days.”

Hill leaves behind his wife, Renee, and their two children: Lewis Jr. and Elle, in addition to three daughters: Asya, Erica and Sierra.

He and the Vaqueros traveled to face Texas Southern in a nonconference game Saturday evening in Houston.

Hill had been away from the team for the past three weeks, two of which the entire program was under quarantine due to COVID-19 exposure. When the team returned to practice for the first time this week, Hill stayed at home while assistant coaches Kenya Crandell and Chris Lowe were heading the Vaqueros’ practices.

“Coach Crandell has done a wonderful job. He and Coach Lobe have been controlling practice and the veterans have been doing a good job of helping lead in practice,” Hill said in a Thursday interview with the WAC Digital Network.

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley head men’s basketball coach Lew Hill gives instuction against California Baptist during a Western Athletic Conference game at the UTRGV Fieldhouse on Saturday, Mar. 7, 2020, in Edinburg. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])

“We can’t worry about what we can’t control and we have to learn to handle adversity. This year and the end of last year, every day has brought adversity. If you left that beat you down, then you won’t be able to flourish throughout this pandemic.”

Hill was in the midst of his fifth season leading the UTRGV basketball program that improved every season under his leadership. He led the Vaqueros to their first Division I postseason win in school history in the CollegeInsider.com Invitational and was nominated for the Ben Jobe Award, presented annually to the top minority coach in DI college basketball, during the 2018-19 season.

Hill also led UTRGV to a 14-16 record during the 2019-20 season and a second-place finish in the Western Athletic Conference, the best in program history, before the season was ended prematurely by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hill and the Vaqueros were off to an 8-3 start this season before Saturday’s 77-75 loss to Texas Southern, the best start for UTRGV basketball in nearly 20 years. He tallied a 67-77 record during five seasons as UTRGV’s head coach.

“I’m very saddened with the news of Coach Lew Hill’s passing,” tweeted New Mexico State head coach Chris Jans. “He was a good man and a heckuva coach. Our thoughts and prayers are with Lew’s family and the UTRGV team. I can’t believe it.”

“We are all extremely shocked and sad to hear the awful news on Lew,” said Grand Canyon head coach Bryce Drew in a Twitter statement. “He stood for what is right and leaves a great legacy as a man and coach. Our prayers are with his family and loved ones.”

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley head men’s basketball coach Lew Hill, center, gives instuction against California Baptist during a Western Athletic Conference game at the UTRGV Fieldhouse on Saturday, Mar. 7, 2020, in Edinburg. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])

Hill, a native of New York, was an all-state point guard at Mount Vernon High School in the early 1980s. As a freshman in college, Hill led San Jacinto Junior College to a national championship and earned All-American honors during the 1983-84 season.

He later transferred to Wichita State, where he graduated in 1988 with a degree in criminal justice. As a senior, Hill earned All-Missouri Valley Conference honors and led the Shockers to a 20-10 record and an NCAA Tournament appearance.

Before arriving in the Rio Grande Valley, Hill played one season of professional basketball in Germany before beginning his college basketball coaching career, which included stops as an assistant coach at South Alabama, Southeast Missouri State, East Carolina and Texas A&M.

In 2004-05, Hill joined former UT-Pan American coach Lon Kruger as an assistant at UNLV where they coached together for seven seasons. Hill spent the next five seasons on Kruger’s staff at Oklahoma, helping to lead the Sooner to a Final Four appearance before accepting his first head coaching job at UTRGV.

Hill also became a vocal figure in the local community after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. He spoke with The Monitor and other news outlets across the region about his experiences as a Black man living and traveling across America, advocating for changes to end police brutality.

Hill also played a central role in kick starting the Vaqueros United movement at UTRGV in the summer of 2020, an initiative that promotes peace, equality, social justice and human rights on campus and beyond.

All UTRGV’s athletic teams have donned a Vaqueros United patch during the 2020-21 seasons to promote the initiative’s commitment to “continuing meaningful conversations of peace, equality, social justice, and human rights through the utilization of our public platforms.”


Editor’s note: This story was updated to correct Lew Hill’s age. 

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