Biography

Pat Hill enters his first season as the Falcons offensive line coach. Hill comes to the Falcons after spending 15 seasons (1997-2011) the head coach at Fresno State University where he led the Bulldogs to a 112-80 overall record and went to 11 bowl games. Hill led Fresno State to 15 wins over BCS teams during the last decade, which is the highest win total of any non-BCS team in the nation. The Bulldogs won the WAC championship in 1999 and during Hill’s tenure the program consistently played one of the countries toughest non-conference schedules. He also produced the most Academic All-WAC players in school history over his 15 seasons.

Hill's stamp on the Fresno State football program is undeniable. After 15 years, the Bulldog program was nationally recognized for its success in all areas: wins and bowl games appearances, academic achievement, and character of the young men who came through the program. Under Hill, the program received national attention and was recognized as a premier program.

Hill's program grew accustomed of being in the national spotlight. Never was it brighter than in 2001, when Hill guided the program to unprecedented heights — 11 wins, a bowl invitation, a top 10 ranking, wins over Wisconsin, Colorado and Oregon State, another record-setting attendance mark and a Sports Illustrated cover story.

Prior to joining the Bulldogs, Hill spent five seasons as an offensive line/tight ends coach in the NFL. Hill joined the Cleveland Browns in 1992 and spent four seasons (1992-95) in the organization, coaching tight ends and offensive line in addition to working in the personnel department evaluating players. While there, he formed a life-lasting friendship with New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, whom Hill credits for teaching him with a structure that has proven successful. In 1996, he became the offensive line/tight ends coach for the Baltimore Ravens before going on to become the head coach of Fresno State in 1997.

Success continued for Hill when he moved on to the University of Arizona as Dick Tomey's offensive coordinator and offensive line coach in 1990 and '91. In just his first season, the Wildcats went 7-5 and played in the Aloha Bowl. Both seasons, the 'Cats finished in the top five of the Pac-10 in rushing offense, averaging nearly 200 yards per game on the ground.

Hill was the Bulldogs' recruiting coordinator from 1984-89. During that six-year stint as the recruiting coordinator and line coach under former head coach Jim Sweeney, Hill contributed at a championship level. In addition to the conference crowns and bowl victories, the Bulldogs saw 14 players drafted by NFL teams. Fresno State's 1985 team was the only unbeaten Division I-A squad in the country, finishing the season 16th in the polls. Hill's offensive line also provided the pass protection and run blocking for an offensive unit that averaged 32 points per game over those six seasons, including a nation-leading 41 points per game in '85.

Hill began his coaching career as offensive line coach at Los Angeles Valley College from 1974-76, helping the Monarchs to a state junior college championship in 1975. He then served as offensive line coach at Utah from 1977-80 under Wayne Howard; was offensive line coach and offensive coordinator at UNLV from 1981-82 under Tony Knapp; and was offensive coordinator with the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL in 1983 under Jack Gotta.

A 1973 graduate of UC Riverside, Hill was a three-time all-conference center, earning All-America honors as a senior. He was inducted into the UC Riverside Hall of Fame in 1989. It was at UC Riverside where he crossed paths with Ron McBride, then a UCR assistant and formerly the Utah head coach, who helped steer Hill into a football coaching career.

Hill and his wife, Cathy, have three children. Their eldest, Michael, is a recent graduate of Fresno State. Zak is a junior safety on the Bulldog squad and Matt, who played at Cal Poly until a career-ending injury, is a college student in southern California. Hill was born Dec. 17, 1951, in Los Angeles.