SIU head coach Nick Hill having ‘a blast’ since adding offensive coordinator duties

Southern Illinois head coach NIck HIll has “had a blast” since returning to the offensive coordinator role this offseason. (Photo by SIUSalukis.com) 

By Barry Bottino 

Nick Hill will enter his 10^th season as the head football coach at Southern Illinois this fall.

As his team approaches the start of spring practice on March 20, he is having “a blast” since adding the role of offensive coordinator to his plate.

“No. 1, I just felt like I needed to get back to coaching,” Hill told Prairie State Pigskin. “I know that sounds weird, but when you’re the head coach, you manage a lot of people and sometimes feel like you don’t do what got you into this.”

With former offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Blake Rolan leaving in January for a job at Wisconsin, Hill felt the timing was right for a change.

“It’s been on my mind for a year or two,” said Hill, a former SIU quarterback and offensive coordinator. “It gives me an opportunity to go back and do what I did to get me this job.”

The new role also allowed Hill to hire former SIU offensive quality control coach Ryan McVicker as quarterbacks coach.

“Just how the staff aligned, I wanted to hire Ryan,” Hill said. “I didn’t think there was a better opportunity.”

Hill and McVicker will work together with the quarterbacks, a position that saw numerous injuries last season, including to Murray State transfer D.J. Williams, who won the job in fall camp.

The Salukis started four different quarterbacks last season – Williams, backup Hunter Simmons, true freshman Jake Curry and graduate assistant coach turned starter Michael Lindauer, who has returned to his GA role.

“I’m excited about D.J. and the quarterback room,” Hill said. “This gives me an opportunity to have my hands on them every day and coach and be back in the meeting rooms. It’s what you’re passionate about. I’ve had a blast.

“You’re really diving into the tape and scripting walk-throughs and different things,” he said. “We’re already scripting spring practices. I’m excited about it. I missed it a lot.”

Barry Bottino is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin and a 19-year veteran of three Illinois newspapers. He has covered college athletics since 1995.

Find us on social media!

Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/PSPigskin 

Facebook: Prairie State Pigskin 

Instagram: Prairiestatepigskin 

Blue Sky: PSPigskin