Head coach Pat Hill has experienced the ups and
downs of college football, from a successful start
at Fresno State to the program’s recent struggles
over the past couple seasons.
Dalton Runberg / The Collegian

Despite Fresno State’s 27-22 win over North Dakota last Saturday, head coach Pat Hill has taken plenty of criticism about his team’s 1-2 sub-par start this season.

But Hill has taken that criticism and moved on and his focus is on the next opponent. It’s the same routine he has had for the past 14 seasons.

“When he sees something wrong, he’s going to correct it. This is his team,” sophomore starting quarterback Derek Carr said. “He’s been the leader of this team for 15 years and if he sees something wrong he’s going to correct it. He doesn’t let anybody get to him.”

Hill, currently in his 15th season as the Bulldogs’ head man, has posted a 109-73 record since 1997, including a 76-36 Western Athletic Conference record. But for Hill, an outright championship is more important than any record, something he has yet to reach at Fresno State.

“He just wants to win the championship, just like everyone that comes here does,” Carr said.

Clinching a championship is easier said than done, and Hill knows that first hand. The pressure and demand from fans and media to win the WAC is no new burden for Hill.

Hill’s only WAC championship came back in 1999 in a three-way tie with Texas Christian and Hawaii, who all posted 7-2 conference records to finish the season. Although the Bulldogs were crowned co-champions in Hill’s third year as head coach, Fresno State has never finished as WAC champions, shared or not, in the 11 seasons since then.

But that desire to win another WAC title is what motivates Hill. His hard-nosed on-the-field philosophy and motto of “building a new tradition on a national level,” have transformed Bulldog football into a nationally respected program.

“We love playing the big schools. That’s why we come to Fresno State.” Carr said. “It’s an opportunity to play against the Nebraskas and the Cals, schools like that.”

Senior defensive lineman Logan Harrell agreed with his teammate that Hill’s “Anybody, Anytime, Anywhere” mentality is what pushes the ‘Dogs.

“I came to this school to play for coach Hill because of his philosophy on playing. We’re a tough physical team and that’s what I like about this place. That’s the mentality we have playing every game,” Harrell said.

But the Fu Manchu knows it’s not just what happens on the field that makes championship teams. Off the field, Hill has a strong relationship with his players, making sure they attend class and do well scholastically so they avoid ineligibity.

“He definitely cares about us. He cares about us when we’re done with college football. He cares about our career. He cares about us getting our degree. He really cares genuinely and backs everyone of his players up,” Carr said.

Carr continued: “If you look back on the past 15 years, he doesn’t blame one player or the media. He takes all the criticism. Whether that’s good or bad, he takes it and we respect him for that. He takes all the bullets for us so we can focus on the game.”

Despite any criticisms given to him throughout the season, Hill has proven his point by playing tough non-conference opponents and backing his players by all means, that he will do whatever it takes to crown his Bulldogs outright champions, possibly during the school’s final season as a WAC member.

“The thing that drives him is he wants to win that outright championship,” Carr said.