El Dorado names Chris Hill new football coach
The El Dorado School Board on Tuesday unanimously approved the hiring of Chris Hill, who will serve as the next head coach of the El Dorado Wildcats.
Hill is currently the head coach at Sylvan Hills High School, in Sherwood, where he has coached since 2020. He succeeds Steven Jones, who resigned from his position as El Dorado's head football coach on Nov. 18 last year.
“I think El Dorado is one of the premier jobs in the state and I'm thrilled for the opportunity. The rich tradition of Wildcat football, outstanding community support and awesome facilities make it a great place to live and work. I look forward to meeting the student athletes, faculty and staff and being a part of the El Dorado community,” Hill said in a press release.
Prior to joining the Sylvan Hills Bears, Hill was the offensive coordinator at Harding University. He's also coached at Wynne, Parkway High School in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, Ashdown, Van Buren and Morrilton, according to reporting by THV11.
Phillip Lansdell, athletic director for the district, told School Board members Tuesday that after Jones resigned, a committee made up of himself, Superintendent Jim Tucker, football announcer and former Wildcat John Thomas Shepherd and official and former Wildcat parent Clark Smith, was formed to begin the search for a new head coach.
“We started talking to people and we met with the top 10 candidates that were interested in our job,” Lansdell said. “From there, we narrowed it down to our top three candidates.”
At that point, Assistant Superintendent Melissa Powell, El Dorado High School Principal Sherry Hill and School Board ember Vicky Dobson were added to the committee.
“We got those three, brought them in for formal interviews, kind of did our diligence on that,” Lansdell continued.
Chris Hill was selected from the top three candidates, and Lansdell on Tuesday asked the School Board to hire him, pending his release from Sylvan Hills.
“He brings a vast knowledge. He's been coaching high school and college level, he's been in state and out of state,” Lansdell said. “We felt like he was a good fit for our community, just a good person; I think his faith and his conviction will carry over into our kids, how he handles our kids.”
Board member Wayne Gibson asked whether it was possible Coach Hill might choose to remain at Sylvan Hills if he was offered a higher salary once the district learned he planned to come to El Dorado, but Lansdell said that was unlikely.
“I think he's 100% committed to coming to El Dorado,” Lansdell answered. “If you visit with him, and in our interviews, the first thing he'll tell you is that he doesn't coach for the money. That's his thing; it's about the kids. He's 100% committed.”
Present School Board members voted unanimously to approve Hill's hiring. Dobson and Todd Whatley were absent from the special-called meeting, but the present members represented a quorum.
“We look forward to Coach Hill,” School Board President Susan Turbeville.
According to information provided by the district, in his two decades-plus coaching high school football, Hill was a member of the All-Star Coaching Staff four times; was an All-Star Coach Nominee four times; was Coach of the Year five times; was a Coach of the Year finalist four additional times; and has earned 11 different Coach of the Year titles.
Hill also led high school teams to the postseason in 12 seasons, with Conference Championship wins in four seasons, three Conference runner-ups and two State runner-ups.
And at Harding, Hill helped lead the Bisons to the playoffs three times, and in his three years there, the team led the nation in rushing yards one year and was second in the nation in rushing the other two years.
In a press release, Hill outlined his coaching philosophy, which focuses on self-control, discipline and camaraderie.
“We can only control our team. We can't control our opponent, but we can control our work ethic, our attitude, our effort, our encouragement and our discipline. If we take care of ourselves, the scoreboard will take care of itself,” he said.
His goal, the release states, is to help the players that make up the Wildcats reach their full potential.
“We will encourage each other, build each other up, and hold each other accountable. We want to celebrate our team and teammates' successes,” Hill said.
Hill graduated from Harding in 1991 with a bachelor's in physical education. He went on to earn a master's in education leadership from Harding in 2005.
He holds certifications secondary health, physical education and life sciences, as well as strength and conditioning and being a principal at the K-12 level.
“We talked to coaches at both the high school and college level from Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia, Mississippi, as well as Arkansas, and we felt like Coach Hill was the best fit for our program and community,” Lansdell said in the release.
“We are thrilled to have Chris Hill as our head football coach. We are confident he will carry on the winning tradition that El Dorado Football has established, as well as build his players into young men of character,” added Tucker.
Hill has been married to his wife, Elaine, for 29 years. They have two daughters, Tristan and Jordan.
Lansdell said once Hill moves to El Dorado, the athletic department will organize a Meet the Coach night.
“I think you'll be impressed,” he said.
Tucker added that Hill has already started watching Wildcat film.
“He's gung-ho, ready go,” he said.