| Aug. 12, 2005
Contact: Kyle Stephens (210) 458-4907 Corrie Hill resigns as head softball coach, accepts assistant coaching position at the University of Texas
SAN ANTONIO - The University of Texas at San Antonio announced Friday that Corrie Hill has resigned as head coach of the softball program to accept a position as assistant softball coach at the University of Texas.
Hill, the winningest coach in UTSA history, will coordinate all aspects of the Longhorns’ offense under head coach Connie Clark. Hill’s appointment is effective immediately. She replaces former Texas assistant Jill Matyuch who stepped down from her position in June to pursue other career opportunities. An announcement on UTSA’s head coaching position situation is expected next week.
“I dearly loved the time spent at UTSA in helping to build the program into what it is today,” Hill said. “This was a very difficult decision to leave, and it was even tougher telling the team I was leaving. The student-athletes — I never think of them as just players — have all done so much more for the program and institution than hit home runs or set records. They have progressed as people and have learned how to give back to the school, community, fans and alumni. I’m very proud of what we as a program accomplished over the past seven years, on and off the field. It has been a great ride.
“I also am very excited about this exciting opportunity to work with Connie (Clark) and the Texas softball program. It’s a new challenge for me, but one that I will embrace and give everything I have into contributing to what is already one of the best programs in the nation.”
Over the last seven years, Hill turned the UTSA softball program into an offensive powerhouse. She guided the Roadrunners to two consecutive Southland Conference regular season titles and made the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2004 after winning the SLC Tournament. The 2004 SLC Coach of the Year, Hill is the program’s all-time winningest coach with a 221-180-1 (.551) record at the school. She owns a career record of 266-238-1 (.528).
With Hill directing the Roadrunners’ offense, UTSA has been a consistent presence at the top of the NCAA batting statistics in recent years. The Roadrunners have won the last three NCAA home run titles – including a NCAA record 1.83 home runs per game in 2004 – and won the 2005 NCAA slugging percentage title (.575). UTSA also finished second nationally in team batting average (.335) and runs per game (6.28) last season. In 2004, UTSA set the NCAA single-game mark for homers with 10, and tied the record for total bases with 64, in a 26-1 victory at Texas Southern.
Hill’s Roadrunners set 25 team school records and 29 individual single-season and career marks, including 21 offensive records.
“Corrie’s a proven offensive coach,” Clark said of Hill’s hiring. “Offense is her passion and UTSA has posted some staggering numbers on a national scale in home runs, slugging and RBI. We anticipate Corrie making an immediate impact with our players. She does an excellent job of working within hitters’ abilities and making the most of them.”
Prior to her arrival at UTSA, Hill served as head coach and assistant general manager for the Durham Dragons of the Women’s Pro Fastpitch League after a one-year stint as an assistant and pitching coach at Baylor during the 1995-96 season when the school resurrected its program.
Hill started her coaching career as an assistant at Texas-Arlington (1989-92) before serving as head coach at Southeastern Louisiana (1992-95).
Hill played collegiate softball at both Baylor and Texas-Arlington. She picked up team offensive player of the year honors while at Baylor before finishing her collegiate career at UTA after Baylor dropped its program. With the Mavericks, Hill helped lead UTA to the league crown and was named to the All-SLC first team and all-tournament team in 1989. She graduated from UTA in December 1991.
Hill began her post-collegiate playing career in the ASA majors with the Lone Star Lady Lights in 1989 before starring as a catcher and first baseman for the softball Coors Light Silver Bullets in 1990-92.
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