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ROBBY LLOYD, Special for the Standard Examiner
Weber State head coach Jay Hill chats with Keilan Benjamin (10) on opening day for Weber State Fall 2017 Camp on August 1 at Stewart Stadium in Ogden.
Jay Hill led a football team that broke most records at Weber State during his eight seasons as a head coach.
Prior to Hill, the Wildcats had never won a back-to-back Big Sky Conference title and no coach had won more than two; now WSU is a reigning quadruple champion.
Prior to Hill, WSU had never played a home playoff game. Under Hill, Weber State made six home playoff games and advanced to the FCS semi-finals for the first time in program history.
Prior to Hill, WSU had never ranked higher than No. 5 in major polls; the Wildcats reached second in the spring and spent more than 20 weeks securing above fifth in 2018-2021.
In 52 seasons before Hill, Weber State had spent a total of 14 weeks in the top 10. Over the past eight seasons, the Wildcats have spent 42 weeks in the top 10. WSU is currently ranked for 50 consecutive weeks.
On Saturday in San Luis Obispo, Calif., Hill may have officially put the final stamp on becoming the best football coach in Weber State’s 10 of 60-year NCAA history.
Hill now tops the list for all-time coaching wins at Weber State with 54 after the Wildcats beat Cal Poly 38-7.
“It means a lot. Weber State has been so important to Sara and I, as well as to our family, and what it means to our children. You don’t get here without some phenomenal assistant coaches who have done a great job of recruitment, did a great job training these kids to act and perform well, ”Hill said in a post-game radio interview.
“And then, first and foremost, I have a list of 300 or more players that you can look at and say, ‘I couldn’t be here without this guy, I couldn’t be here without this guy. “So I hope all the players and everyone listening knows how much I appreciated them in the past and how much they meant to Sara, me and our family.
“It’s been a hell of a ride and… we’re just getting started.”
Saturday’s win puts Hill past Dave Arslanian, who went 53-47 from 1989-97.
Hill is now 40-15 in Big Sky games, by far the best winning percentage for a WSU coach at 0.727.
“I bought into what this place could become. I knew we could recruit at Ogden. It’s a great place, it’s a hidden gem, ”said Hill. “I knew we could… get great players to buy into what we were doing. We have started recruiting other local kids who are proud of what we are building… and it just gets better and better. I don’t see him stopping. We obviously have to find ways to keep winning games, but I like where we are. “
Hill’s overall score of 54-34 is a .614 winning percentage, which is second in program history behind Sark Arslanian, who went 50-26-2 (.654) from 1965-72 – with the caveat that these teams did not play games against teams from higher subdivisions. Suppressing Hill’s eight losses to FBS teams, his record stands at 54-26 (.675).
“I remember after our second year we had just had the first winning season in five or six years, we still weren’t close to where we were going to be and then you find out Sara has cancer. . How the community, the administration and everyone supported us was very important to Sara, the kids and myself, ”said Hill. “It’s kind of what helped create that family atmosphere that you hear so much from the players.
“This is really what it is about, watching boys grow into men and us become a part of something special in their lives and in football. It is a great place.
Junior running back Josh Davis also rose to third on Weber State’s all-time career running list. He ran 11 times for 57 yards on Saturday, seeing limited action after being hit early, bringing his career tally to 3,104 rushing yards.
Bulletin
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