Francis Marion University athletic officials have announced that
former Patriot men's basketball coach Lewis Hill
will be the newest inductee into the FMU Athletic Hall of Fame on
Feb. 28, 2004.
Hill served as the head men's basketball coach at Francis Marion
for 21 seasons, from 1976 to 1997, recording a 339-276
record. He is responsible for 74 percent of the program's
all-time win total.
In only his second year (1977-78), he guided Francis Marion to
its first winning season (20-8) and the program's first post-season
berth (NAIA District Six Tournament). He piloted Francis
Marion to its best-ever record (24-7) in 1979-80, and to the
program's only NAIA District Six championship and NAIA national
tournament appearance in 1990-91.
His Patriot teams won at least 19 games in 11 of his 21 seasons,
including seven 20-win campaigns. His teams ranked nationally
in team scoring defense in six of his final seven seasons at
FMU.
His 1985-86 team won its opening eight games and 11 of its first
12, and was ranked as high as sixth in the nation (NAIA) in January
of that year, en route to a 22-8 record.
He was named NAIA District Six "Coach of the Year" twice, in
1978 and 1991. He was also selected as the Palmetto State
Conference "Coach of the Year" following the 1990-91 season.
Under his direction, Francis Marion twice captured a share of the
Palmetto State Conference crown, in 1989-90 and
1990-91.
Hill guided Francis Marion to a respectable 5-12 record in games
against NCAA Division I opponents. He won his first game at
Francis Marion, 65-63 over USC Aiken on Nov. 27, 1976, and his
final win at FMU was also against USCA, 65-60 on Feb. 25, 1997.
Prior to taking the FMU position, he established the men's
basketball program at Central Wesleyan College (now Southern
Wesleyan University) and compiled a 99-50 record in six
seasons. His 1975-76 Central Wesleyan squad placed second at
the NCCAA national tournament.
After leaving Francis Marion, he spent several years in private
business, but recently returned to coaching at the high school
level. He just concluded his second year as boys' varsity
basketball coach at Woodland High School in Dorchester, S.C.
The Wolverines were 15-11 in 2002-03, and 10-8 this past year, and
both years advanced to the AA State playoffs.
A native of Greensboro, N.C., Hill's coaching career began at
Allen Jay High School in High Point, N.C., in 1965, where current
N.C. State University women's head coach Kay Yow coached the girls'
varsity. Hill earned his undergraduate degree from Mars Hill
College and his master's from UNC Greensboro.
