Head coach Nick Hill ready for second season at helm

CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois football head coach Nick Hill is entering his second season leading the program. After winning two of the last three games of the 2016 season, Hill and the Salukis are ready to see that momentum continue into 2017.

"I'm just excited to get back out here with the guys," Hill said. "There's so much time in a yearly calendar that you can't be out here with them, but this is why we do it--to be out here on the field."

In Hill's first season, the team went 4-7 overall and 2-6 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Salukis finished eighth in the league last year and were picked eighth again in 2017; but with 15 returning starters and both coordinators returning, the Dawgs are out to prove the doubters wrong this season.

"I'm excited about this group of guys, and I'm talking about the type of people we have in the entire program, from the coaches to the players to everyone involved," Hill said.

Offensively, SIU lost starting guard Reid Sealby and receivers Israel Lamprakes and Billy Reed, but the Salukis have great depth at both positions to fill those roles. Defensively, the defensive line has the most to replace, but nearly every major contributor in the linebackers and secondary returns, except for Chase Allen, who is with the Miami Dolphins in the NFL. Defensively, Kraig Paulson is back for his second season as defensive coordinator--the first time since 2012 and 2013 that Southern's defense has had the same coordinator for back-to-back seasons.

"Every team faces different challenges, but the majority of our team that played last year is back," Hill said. "There's a lot of experience. In year two, for me, I feel more comfortable in what I want from the team and what I want from the meetings. Both coordinators are the same, so the terminology (is the same). We put this offense in three years ago. For Sam Straub, this is the third year he's heard the same plays. It's the second year for the defense, so we should take a step forward in that aspect."

Hill, who was the third-youngest head coach in FCS football when he was hired last year, has focused on high-energy practices throughout his tenure. He's also made a name for himself as one of the top recruiters in the country, and it's safe to expect those high-energy practices to continue for the talented young players he and the staff have brought in.

"We tweaked a few things in practice, but not a lot," Hill said. "I like the pace of our practice. We get on and off the field quickly. We get our work in."

Hill started at quarterback for the Salukis in 2006 and 2007, leading the program to the semifinals of the FCS playoffs in 2007. Now as the head coach, he looks to revive a program that is looking for its first playoff berth since 2009.

"I learned quickly that you can't be everywhere," Hill said of his second year as head coach. "You can't coach everything. You have to do a great job in the film room and in staff meetings on being clear about what you expect from every person in your entire organization. We have to be focused on the guys and the team to make this team better, and I think we've done that."

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Players Mentioned

Chase Allen

Israel Lamprakes

Billy Reed

Reid Sealby

Sam Straub

Scoreboard

Southern Illinoise University Athletics