This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

After failing to qualify for the postseason for the first time since 1999 — a string of 16 consecutive appearances — with a losing record (4-6) in 2015, Orem has begun the process of rebuilding with the appointment of Jeremy Hill as the next football coach of the program, The Tribune has confirmed.

Hill, who was slated to address the players at 1 p.m. this afternoon, is a highly-successful coach in the Orem little league system and has served as an assistant coach the past five seasons at the high school.

"I've been coaching my son's team the last six years. I've been heavily involved," Hill said. "One of the things we did at Orem when I first started there, was really trying to build our youth program; really shut down our borders so our best players weren't leaving our system and leaving to Timpview and other schools. We've had a lot of success doing that."

Hill primarily worked with the offensive line, under both Bob Steele, who stepped down after returning to the sideline for one season after coaching the program from 2002-10, and Tyler Anderson, whom Steele replaced. Anderson remained an offensive coordinator this year following a bizarre, tumultuous offseason.

"Being on staff for the last five years, it's not necessarily a new feeling for me, but it's an opportunity to use some of the skill sets I have to bring all the puzzle pieces we have at Orem, and quite honestly — have had at Orem — so we can start getting some wins and getting some championships," Hill said.

The hiring of Hill, who is a paraprofessional and not an educator, is rare but not unprecedented. This is Hill's first head coaching job at the high school level, and running his own business allows him to perform the duties of the job, Hill said.

"It was something that was always on the forefront and discussed and looked at," Hill said. "Orem had approximately 16 candidates. The majority of the ones that came in were educators. In the end, it came down to what was the best fit."

Hill was subject to a hearing of undue influence in August for his affiliation with the all-star little league, but the UHSAA panel ultimately did not find evidence of recruiting violations. The original issue was raised by neighboring programs when administrators witnessed a photograph that included players living in Pleasant Grove boundaries donning Orem jerseys. Hill denied claims he attempted to persuade players to transfer to Orem.

"Our view was that you needed to be incredibly careful about having anyone associated with the school be part of a summer league because it appears to be undue influence," said UHSAA attorney Mark Van Wagoner. "If he's hauling a bunch of kids around that are in the eighth grade, and they're playing football for him, and they suddenly show up at his school outside of their attendance area — I suspect there will be a hearing on it. It always gives the appearance of undue influence. When somebody shows up at your camp — you need to tell them not to come to your school because if they do, it's clearly going to result in a hearing."

Hill denied any wrongdoing in an interview with The Tribune, while also claiming he has zero affiliation with Vivint, the home security system company whose logo adorns the Orem field.

"It was brought up in the interview process. I've got zero relations with Vivint. I've never worked there, I've never got a paycheck," Hill said. "A lot of people lose sight because we've got Vivint on our football field. It wasn't Vivint that gave the money for the uniforms, the helmets, the weight equipment [or] the field. All that money was private donations from Todd Pedersen, the owner of Vivint. I've never taken a paycheck or stipend from Todd, as well. There's absolutely zero connection."

— Trevor Phibbs