Bulldog Breakdown: Reflecting on Pat Hill's career ahead of induction into Ring of Honor

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- At halftime of this Saturday's Fresno State game, the school will induct former Pat Hill into its Ring of Honor.

Ahead of that celebration, Action News is looking back at the career of the former Bulldog head coach.

Hired in December of 1996, Hill followed the legendary Jim Sweeney -- and he wouldn't have had it any other way.

"A lot of people say 'Oh you don't want to follow a legend' I want to! I want to follow him and I want to take this thing on to the next step," said Hill.

Hill had worked on Sweeney's staff in the 80s as the offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator.

The team was coming off a four-win season in Sweeney's last year at the helm.

"This used to be a top 20 football team it's going to be a top 20 football team again hopefully a top ten football team."

To do that, he needed top recruits.

He'd get his biggest one down in Bakersfield in David Carr, who was all set to play for the Washington Huskies.

"Pat ended up calling my dad the night before I was getting on a plane to get up there. He was sold on the fact that this recruiting class that he was bringing in was going to be legendary," recalled Carr.

Carr bought the vision and Hill took the team to new heights with a new motto of taking on anybody, anytime, anywhere.

In 2001 the team beat ranked Oregon State and Wisconsin in back-to-back weeks and went as high as number 8 in the national polls.

Along the way, the team built an identity.

"We went in the office and I printed a green V and you know Pat he had his little red flare pen he was like 'This is what we gotta do - put a little red line in there for paint the valley red," said Bulldog coach John Baxter.

The Green V serves as a symbol of the agricultural region of the Central Valley.

"One of our big selling points was we were the Green Bay Packers of college football. We were community-owned and a lot of it had to do with this community the Valley," explained Hill.

A lot of that selling came from Hill's own passion for the project.

"I knew we were going to recruit Valley kids because we didn't have a budget to go further, heck the last five years I was here I had to pay for spring recruiting out of my pocket so a lot of things have changed."

Hill coached 15 seasons posting a record of 112-80, the second most wins in program history.

He was fired following a 4-9 season.

"Pat always talked about building a stronger bridge, and that's exactly what he did. And that bridge has now been handed off to Jeff Tedford who's really completing the circle," said Baxter.

Four years later, he'd return to the school to be the color broadcaster alongside Paul Loeffler for Bulldog football games on the radio.

This Saturday, Hill will return to the field to be honored for his decades of dedication to the program.

It's a program he took to new heights just like he promised back in 1996.

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