Hill rejoins Shaw basketball as head coach

A new era in Shaw men's basketball became official on Thursday when athletic director Al Carter handed Cleo Hill Jr. a brand-new basketball during a news conference to announce the university's next head coach.

"Coach Hill, the ball is in your hands," Carter said, before shaking hands with Hill.

Hill, 41, leaves his head coaching duties at Cheyney University to replace Robert Brickey, whose contract was not renewed after three seasons.

Hill served as an assistant coach at Shaw from 2000 to 2002. He signed a four-year contract, though Carter would not release all contract terms.

"I have a whole lot of respect for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference," Hill said of the league in which he coached since 2003. "But in the end, I'm a CIAA guy."

Hill played college basketball at N.C. Central from 1984-88, scoring more than 1,000 points and serving as the Eagles' captain.

While he was an assistant for the Bears in 2002, Shaw -- under then- coach Joel Hopkins -- claimed its first CIAA title.

That season, the Bears appeared in the NCAA Division II Final Four. Remembering that team's success, Hill said: "I want that same standard. I want to get back to the Final Four and win it."

Hill says he returns as a seasoned coach and looks forward to the support of the administration in helping to rebuild a program that finished 5-23 overall and 1-17 in the CIAA this season.

Hill, who took his first head coaching job at Cheyney, compiled a 74-67 record in five seasons, leading the Wolves to two Division II NCAA Tournament appearances with an up-tempo style of play.

Asked why he chose to leave, Hill said Shaw's athletic department offered more resources -- nine scholarships as opposed to two -- and the administration was more stable than that at Cheyney, which had experienced several changes over the past few years.

"We are very happy for Coach Hill," Cheyney athletic director China Jude said. "He has made a significant impact to the Cheyney community and beyond. He will be missed."

A search committee organized by Shaw to identify a new coach whittled the selection pool down from 32 applicants to four finalists. Though all finalists received a telephone interview, only Hill was brought to campus, said Dr. Martel A. Perry, Shaw's executive vice president.

Carter said Hill's commitment to recruiting and development impressed the committee.

"It was a perfect fit," said Carter, adding that he must also be realistic about how quickly the program can change around Hill. "Being an athletic director, I want it now, but you have to be realistic and give the coach an opportunity to set his process, get his players, get his system down."

Hill, whose father Cleo Hill Sr. was inducted into the CIAA Hall of Fame as a player for Winston-Salem State, is from Orange, N.J.

In 1961, Hill Sr. became the first player from a historically black college or university selected in the first round of the NBA Draft by the St. Louis Hawks (now Atlanta).

Cleo Hill Jr. said that as Shaw's coach he will consult his father, but more importantly he will cultivate relationships with recruits, including junior college players and Division I transfers.

"[In] two and a half to three years, I want to be able to compete," Hill said. "If you get the right players, you put the time in recruiting, it could happen a whole lot sooner."