Bryan Hill’s longtime dream has finally come true. Hill, who has been Wylie’s defensive coordinator for the past three years, has been hired as Midland Greenwood’s head football coach and athletic director.
Hill, 36, was officially hired by the Greenwood ISD school board on Wednesday night.
“Greenwood is one of the few jobs I would have left Wylie for,” Hill said. “I had one of the best jobs in the country working at Abilene Wylie and this opportunity came to me at Greenwood and it is very special. Starting my career as a head coach in a place like Greenwood is very special to me. I cannot thank Mr (Ariel) Elliott, the principal, and the school board enough.”
Hill, a 2005 graduate of Llano High School, got his first job as a high school coach at Wylie. He was one of Clay Martin’s first associates after Martin replaced Hugh Sandifer as the football team’s head coach.
“I can’t say enough about him,” Hill said. “He gave me my first shot at high school football. Not only has he helped me with the X’s and O’s and taken on a defense that has been his for 25 years, but he’s really mentored me and taught me what it’s like to be a head coach and athletic director. The experience of the last three years with him has been invaluable.”
Martin commended Hill for the work he had done with the Bulldogs during his three years at Abilene.
“He stepped in and did a great job,” said Martin. “He’s a great coach, has great knowledge and is an even better person. We are very happy for Brian. It’s been a dream of his for a long time. I’m just happy for him and his family.”
Hill is leaving Wylie after the football team had their best season since jumping into Class 5A in 2018. The Bulldogs were 10-4 overall and advanced to the Region-5A DII Finals, losing to Argyle 35-28. Wylie went 10-0 in District 2-5A Division II and won his first District title since 2016 when the Bulldogs made the Class 4A Division I title game.
“It’s been an exciting season,” Hill said. “I can’t give enough credit to everyone involved, but it was a special group of players. They really cared about each other. I think that showed on the pitch. They played really, really hard. It was a special team to be here.”
From business to rust
Hill took a detour to coaching. He earned a business degree from the University of Texas in 2009 and worked in the business world for almost two years. Then he caught coaching fever and started as an assistant at NAIA Wayland Baptist in 2011. Plainview College had just started its football program and was not playing until the 2012 season.
From there, Hill spent two years in Midwestern State, beginning in 2013. He then returned to UT, where he served as research assistant on Charlie Strong and the Longhorns (2015 and 2016). He followed Strong to South Florida, where Hill served as linebacker coach for two seasons (2017-18) and safety coach for one (2019).
“I’m incredibly blessed,” Hill said. “At Midwestern State, Coach (Bill) Maskill is just a few wins away from becoming the all-time winningest coach in the Lone Star Conference. He’s a brilliant footballer and a really great mentor. Then Charly Strong, with several national championships on his résumé, I learned a lot from him.
“Coach Martin, who not only won a state championship on the football field, but two in baseball. He’s just an all-round coach. any sport. He just has a great resume.
“Just benefiting from each of these guys at different times in my career I think has been extremely valuable and will help me a lot as I progress at Greenwood.”
Hill replaces Rusty Purser, who resigned in January after four years at Greenwood. Purser recently accepted a job at Midlothian ISD.
Hill and his wife Summer have a 20-month-old son named Parke.
Greenwood, who plays in District 3-4A Division II with Snyder, Sweetwater, Wichita Falls Hirschi and Graham, went 5-6 last season, tying Graham and Snyder in second place. Rangers lost to Godley 26-7 in the first round of the playoffs.
Greenwood went 14-1 in 2019 and reached the semifinals of 4A DII State but lost to eventual state champion Texarkana Pleasant Grove 48-20.
Greenwood reached the Class 3A DII title game in 2002, losing to Bandera 27-24 in two overtimes.