Jess Hill
Encyclopedia
Jesse Terrill Hill was an American
athlete, coach and college administrator who was best known for his tenure as a coach and athletic director
at the University of Southern California
. His career spanned six decades. He played as an outfielder
in Major League Baseball
from 1935 to 1937, coached two national championship
teams in track and field
, and went on to become the first person to both play for and coach Rose Bowl
champions.
, and moved with his family to Corona, California
as a boy, attending Corona High School
and Riverside City College
. After transferring to USC, he earned letters
in football
, track, and baseball
. He played as a running back
for the 1928 national championship team, and was a senior on the 1929 team that went on to win the 1930 Rose Bowl
, leading the Pacific Coast Conference
with an average of 8.2 yards per carry. As a junior he won the national title in the broad jump
at the IC4A
meet on June 1, 1929 at Franklin Field
in Philadelphia, with a jump of 25 feet 7/8 inch, breaking the intercollegiate record by 2½ inches. He also won a baseball conference batting
championship with a .389 average as a senior in 1930.
of the Pacific Coast League
, and hit a home run
against the crosstown Los Angeles Angels
in his first professional at bat
. His contract was sold to the New York Yankees
in January 1932, and he reached the major leagues as a left fielder
in , batting .293 in 107 games. On September 22 of his rookie year, he barely lost to Ben Chapman
in a 75-yard promotional race held before a game with the Boston Red Sox
http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/H/Hill_Jesse.stm. In January 1936 he was traded to the Washington Senators
, and he hit .305 in a reserve role. After beginning with a .217 average in 33 games, and switching to center field
, he was sent to the Philadelphia Athletics
, and hit .293 over the rest of the year. Afterwards he was sent to the Oakland Oaks
of the PCL, where he played two more years. Over his major league career, Hill batted .289 with 6 home runs, 175 runs
, 108 runs batted in
, 277 hits
and 43 stolen base
s.
during World War II
, and was discharged in 1946 as a lieutenant commander; during the war he worked with USC athletic director Willis O. Hunter in the Navy's V-5 (aviation cadet) program, and Hunter hired him in 1946 to coach freshman football and track. Hill was an assistant coach on USC's 1947 Rose Bowl team.
Hill became USC's head track coach in 1949–1950, succeeding Dean Cromwell
, and won national titles in both years. He returned for one season as track coach in 1962 after the sudden death of Jess Mortensen
. He became the football coach from 1951–1956, with his teams posting a record of 45-17-1, including Rose Bowl appearances after the 1952 and 1954 seasons. His 1952 squad finished the year ranked fifth in the nation with a 10-1 record, outscoring their opponents 254-47 and leading the nation in scoring defense at 4.7 points per game; the only loss was a 9-0 contest at Notre Dame
which ended the regular season. In the Rose Bowl, USC defeated Wisconsin
7-0; it was the only time between 1947 and 1959 that the Pacific Coast Conference
champion beat the Big Ten
champion. Hill's 1954 team lost the Rose Bowl to Ohio State
, 20-7. During his tenure, Hill's players included Frank Gifford
, Rudy Bukich
, Jim Sears
and Jon Arnett
. For the 1956 season opener at Texas
, Hill made the decision to change hotels after discovering that USC's integrated team could not stay at the segregated
Austin
hotel that had been booked; USC went on to win the game 44-20 as fullback C. R. Roberts
, an African American
, ran for a school-record 251 yards. USC ended the year with wins over UCLA
and Notre Dame, the only time in his six years that they won both games.
titles (1958, 1962–64, 1966–69) under coach George Toley
; six College World Series
titles (1958, 1961, 1963, 1968, 1970–71) under coach Rod Dedeaux
; six track titles (1958, 1961, 1963, 1965, 1967–68) under coaches Jess Mortensen and Vern Wolfe; five swimming
titles (1960, 1963–66) under coach Peter Daland
; two football titles (1962, 1967) under coach John McKay; one indoor track
title (1967) under coach Vern Wolfe; and one gymnastics
title (1962) under coach Jack Beckner. Hill then became commissioner of the Pacific Coast Athletic Association
, retiring in 1978.
Hill died at age 86 in Pasadena, California
of complications of Alzheimer's disease
with one daughter and one son, who have loving grandchildren. He was inducted into the USC Athletic Hall of Fame in its second class in 1995.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
athlete, coach and college administrator who was best known for his tenure as a coach and athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. His career spanned six decades. He played as an outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
from 1935 to 1937, coached two national championship
NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship
The NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship is an annual collegiate outdoor track and field competition for men organised by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. It has three divisions: Division I, II, and III. Athlete's individual performances earn points for their institution and...
teams in track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, and went on to become the first person to both play for and coach Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
champions.
Early life and collegiate athletic career
Hill was born in Yates, MissouriMissouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, and moved with his family to Corona, California
Corona, California
Corona is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 152,374, up from 124,966 at the 2000 census...
as a boy, attending Corona High School
Corona High School
Corona Senior High School is a California Distinguished high school in the city of Corona, California, a growing city in the Inland Empire of Southern California...
and Riverside City College
Riverside Community College
Riverside City College, or RCC, is a community college located in Riverside, California, United States. The college is part of the Riverside Community College District, as well as the larger California Community Colleges System.-History:...
. After transferring to USC, he earned letters
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
in football
University of Southern California Trojans football
The USC Trojans football program, established in 1888, represents the University of Southern California in college football. USC is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I FBS and the Pacific-12 Conference . The Trojans have been a football powerhouse throughout NCAA...
, track, and baseball
College baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...
. He played as a running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
for the 1928 national championship team, and was a senior on the 1929 team that went on to win the 1930 Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
, leading the Pacific Coast Conference
Pacific Coast Conference
The Pacific Coast Conference was a college athletic conference in the United States which existed from 1915 to 1959. Though the Pacific-12 Conference claims the PCC's history as part of its own, the older league had a completely different charter and was disbanded in 1959 due to a major crisis...
with an average of 8.2 yards per carry. As a junior he won the national title in the broad jump
Long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
at the IC4A
IC4A
IC4A or ICAAAA is an annual men's competition held at different colleges every year....
meet on June 1, 1929 at Franklin Field
Franklin Field
Franklin Field is the University of Pennsylvania's stadium for football, field hockey, lacrosse, sprint football, and track and field . It is also used by Penn students for recreation, and for intramural and club sports, including touch football and cricket, and is the site of Penn's graduation...
in Philadelphia, with a jump of 25 feet 7/8 inch, breaking the intercollegiate record by 2½ inches. He also won a baseball conference batting
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
championship with a .389 average as a senior in 1930.
Career as a professional athlete
After graduation, Hill signed a baseball contract with the Hollywood StarsHollywood Stars
The Hollywood Stars were a minor league baseball team that played in the Pacific Coast League during the early and mid 20th century. They were the arch-rivals of the other Los Angeles based PCL team, the Los Angeles Angels.-Hollywood Stars :...
of the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
, and hit a home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
against the crosstown Los Angeles Angels
Los Angeles Angels (PCL)
The Los Angeles Angels were a team based in Los Angeles, California that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1903 through 1957, after which they transferred to Spokane, Washington to become the Spokane Indians. Los Angeles would later become the host city to a Major League Baseball team, the...
in his first professional at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
. His contract was sold to the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
in January 1932, and he reached the major leagues as a left fielder
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
in , batting .293 in 107 games. On September 22 of his rookie year, he barely lost to Ben Chapman
Ben Chapman (baseball player)
William Benjamin "Ben" Chapman was an American outfielder and manager in Major League Baseball who played for several teams, most notably the New York Yankees. During the period from 1926 to 1943, he had more stolen bases than any other player, leading the American League four times...
in a 75-yard promotional race held before a game with the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/H/Hill_Jesse.stm. In January 1936 he was traded to the Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, and he hit .305 in a reserve role. After beginning with a .217 average in 33 games, and switching to center field
Center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field...
, he was sent to the Philadelphia Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
, and hit .293 over the rest of the year. Afterwards he was sent to the Oakland Oaks
Oakland Oaks (PCL)
The Oakland Oaks were a minor league baseball team in Oakland, California that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1903 through 1955, after which the club transferred to Vancouver, British Columbia...
of the PCL, where he played two more years. Over his major league career, Hill batted .289 with 6 home runs, 175 runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
, 108 runs batted in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
, 277 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
and 43 stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s.
Coaching career
Hill began his coaching career at California high schools and colleges during baseball offseasons. He joined the NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and was discharged in 1946 as a lieutenant commander; during the war he worked with USC athletic director Willis O. Hunter in the Navy's V-5 (aviation cadet) program, and Hunter hired him in 1946 to coach freshman football and track. Hill was an assistant coach on USC's 1947 Rose Bowl team.
Hill became USC's head track coach in 1949–1950, succeeding Dean Cromwell
Dean Cromwell
Dean Bartlett Cromwell , nicknamed "Maker of Champions", was an American athletic coach in multiple sports, principally at the University of Southern California...
, and won national titles in both years. He returned for one season as track coach in 1962 after the sudden death of Jess Mortensen
Jess Mortensen
Jesse "Jess" Philo Mortensen was a NCAA champion track athlete and coach. Mortensen is one of only three men to win Division I Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship team titles as both an athlete and coach.Mortensen was captain of the 1930 NCAA championship track team at the University of...
. He became the football coach from 1951–1956, with his teams posting a record of 45-17-1, including Rose Bowl appearances after the 1952 and 1954 seasons. His 1952 squad finished the year ranked fifth in the nation with a 10-1 record, outscoring their opponents 254-47 and leading the nation in scoring defense at 4.7 points per game; the only loss was a 9-0 contest at Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
which ended the regular season. In the Rose Bowl, USC defeated Wisconsin
Wisconsin Badgers football
The Wisconsin Badgers are a college football program that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football...
7-0; it was the only time between 1947 and 1959 that the Pacific Coast Conference
Pacific Coast Conference
The Pacific Coast Conference was a college athletic conference in the United States which existed from 1915 to 1959. Though the Pacific-12 Conference claims the PCC's history as part of its own, the older league had a completely different charter and was disbanded in 1959 due to a major crisis...
champion beat the Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
champion. Hill's 1954 team lost the Rose Bowl to Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
, 20-7. During his tenure, Hill's players included Frank Gifford
Frank Gifford
Francis Newton "Frank" Gifford is a Hall of Fame former American football player and American sportscaster.-Early life:Gifford was born in Santa Monica, California, the son of Lola Mae and Weldon Gifford, an oil driller....
, Rudy Bukich
Rudy Bukich
Rudolph Andrew Bukich is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League between 1953 and 1968. He played college football at the University of Southern California...
, Jim Sears
Jim Sears
James Herbert "Jimmy" Sears was a professional American football defensive back/halfback in the National Football League and the American Football League .-High school career:...
and Jon Arnett
Jon Arnett
Jon Dwane Arnett was a first-team All-American out of USC and Manual Arts High School.-College career:Arnett was the multiple recipient of the W.J. Voit Memorial Trophy as the outstanding football player on the Pacific Coast. Arnett won the Voit Trophy in both 1954 and 1955...
. For the 1956 season opener at Texas
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
, Hill made the decision to change hotels after discovering that USC's integrated team could not stay at the segregated
Racial segregation in the United States
Racial segregation in the United States, as a general term, included the racial segregation or hypersegregation of facilities, services, and opportunities such as housing, medical care, education, employment, and transportation along racial lines...
Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
hotel that had been booked; USC went on to win the game 44-20 as fullback C. R. Roberts
C. R. Roberts
C. R. Roberts is a former American football player who played fullback for the USC Trojans and the San Francisco 49ers.-High school career:Roberts graduated from Oceanside High School in Northern San Diego County.-College career:...
, an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, ran for a school-record 251 yards. USC ended the year with wins over UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
and Notre Dame, the only time in his six years that they won both games.
Athletic director
Hill stepped down from his football post to become USC's athletic director from 1957–1972, during which period the university won 29 team national championships: eight tennisNCAA Men's Tennis Championship
The NCAA Men's Tennis Championships are held to crown a team, individual, and doubles champion in American college tennis. The first intercollegiate championship was held in 1883, 23 years before the founding of the NCAA, with Harvard's Joseph Clark taking the singles title...
titles (1958, 1962–64, 1966–69) under coach George Toley
George Toley
George Andrew Toley was an American collegiate tennis coach at the University of Southern California from 1954 to 1980...
; six College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
titles (1958, 1961, 1963, 1968, 1970–71) under coach Rod Dedeaux
Rod Dedeaux
Raoul Martial "Rod" Dedeaux was an American college baseball coach who compiled what is arguably the greatest record of any coach in the sport's amateur history....
; six track titles (1958, 1961, 1963, 1965, 1967–68) under coaches Jess Mortensen and Vern Wolfe; five swimming
NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships
The NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships are college championship events in the USA. The event is held annually, and the NCAA hosts Swimming & Diving Championships in each of its three Divisions ....
titles (1960, 1963–66) under coach Peter Daland
Peter Daland
Peter Daland is a retired swimming coach from the United States. He coaching career spanned over 40 years. Daland graduated from Swarthmore College in 1948 and got his first coaching job at Rose Valley, Pennsylvania, where he won 8 straight Suburban League titles...
; two football titles (1962, 1967) under coach John McKay; one indoor track
NCAA Men's Indoor Track and Field Championship
NCAA team champions for Men's Indoor Track and Field-See also:*NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship*NCAA Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship*NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship*Pre-NCAA Indoor Track and Field Champions...
title (1967) under coach Vern Wolfe; and one gymnastics
NCAA Men's Gymnastics championship
This is a list of National Collegiate Athletic Association Men's Gymnastics champions, by division and year. All schools currently compete in one division, because only 17 schools sponsor men's gymnastics teams...
title (1962) under coach Jack Beckner. Hill then became commissioner of the Pacific Coast Athletic Association
Big West Conference
The Big West Conference is an NCAA-affiliated Division I mid-major college athletic conference. When the conference began in 1969, its name was the Pacific Coast Athletic Association . After nineteen years, in 1988, its name was changed to the Big West Conference. The conference stopped...
, retiring in 1978.
Hill died at age 86 in Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
of complications of Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
with one daughter and one son, who have loving grandchildren. He was inducted into the USC Athletic Hall of Fame in its second class in 1995.