Former Oxford Coach Johnny Hill Among 2017 MAC Hall Of Fame Inductees

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Former Oxford High School football coach Johnny Hill will be inducted into the Mississippi Association of Coaches Hall of Fame on Friday. The induction will be held at the Hilton Hotel in Jackson, Miss starting at 6 p.m.

Hill has devoted 41 years of his life to coaching, with a majority of that time spent at the helm of two schools separated by less than 60 miles apart in Oxford and Tupelo. 
Throughout his coaching career, Hill found the most success with the Chargers as he led them to four district titles, three regional crowns, one Class 4A North half-title, 3 Class 5A North Half Championships, and four state runner-up finishes.
“It’s the ultimate honor, I want to accept the award, but it really goes to a lot of people,” Hill said. “Not just me, it goes to assistant coaches, players, administration, the towns that I have coached in, it goes to a lot of people. I will be the recipient of it, but it is shared by a lot of people.”
His football teams had 252 wins and 95 losses for an overall 75 percent winning percentage. When all was said and done, Hill was more impressed by teamwork and effort rather than the final score. 
“I had a lot of players play hard and played together and as far as a coach that is really what you look for,” Hill said. “Talent is outstanding, but when kids play together as a team and just want don’t want to be denied, it’s a lot of fun. I have seen teams play hard and play and lose and I am just as proud of them as if they won the game.
During his career, Hill always aimed to surround himself with coaches and players that emphasize a true team first mentality. 
“Alliance is real simple surround yourself with good people, I hired good coaches,” Hill said. Coaches that will work together have your back and are good with kids; that’s the whole key. They have been really fun to work with, and the kids that we have had have been really good kids. When they slack up, we jump them, and they would not take it the wrong way and get back to work,” Hill said.
As an athletic director at Oxford and Tupelo, Johnny had tremendous success as the Charger athletic programs claimed the Clarion Ledger Class 5A All-Sports Award 10 times which included 32 state championships and the Golden Wave program won the All-Sports honors on two occasions.  At Oxford, Coach Hill helped establish new programs in soccer, fast pitch softball, slow pitch softball, swimming, powerlifting, and golf.  During the years, Hill has been recognized by the MHSAA as coach of the year four times on the district level with three region awards plus three football and basketball accolades from the Mississippi Private Association.  He was chosen as athletic director of the year in 2007 by the Mississippi Athletic Administrators’ Association.
In 2005, Hill served a term served a term as MAC President and President of the Mississippi Athletic Administrators after being a longtime member.
Hill will be inducted into the Hall of Fame along with Johnny Barfield, Samuel Washington, Bobby Hall and Mike Wilkinson.
The MAC Hall of Fame was created in 1973. This year’s class will increase to 232 total members (218 lifetime and 14 honorary) are enshrined into the Hall.

Adam Brown sports editor of HottyToddy.com. He can be reached at adam.brown@hottytoddy.com.
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