Ogden • Weber State’s Jay Hill was named the Big Sky Conference football coach of the year on Thursday, for the first time in his career.
In his seventh season as head coach of the Wildcats, Hill led Weber State to a perfect 5-0 record and an outright conference title during the unprecedented spring season. He earned his award from his peers, in a vote of Big Sky Conference coaches.
It was Weber State’s fourth straight conference title but the first outright championship. Hill has also led the Wildcats to a fifth straight appearance in the FCS Playoffs. During the season the Wildcats were also ranked as high as second in the nation, the highest in school history.
He is the fifth coach in Weber State history to be named Big Sky Coach of the Year and the first since Ron McBride won the award in 2008.
Hill, 46, has transformed the Weber State program during his seven seasons with the Wildcats. He enters the FCS Playoffs this week with a career record of 52-30 and is 39-14 in Big Sky games. Over the last four seasons, the Wildcats are 37-10 overall and 26-3 in Big Sky games.
He has also led the Wildcats to a school-record 11 straight home wins and Weber State has won 20 of its last 21 games at Stewart Stadium.
On Wednesday, Hill was named the Region 5 Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association for the second straight season. He is also a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award as the National Coach of the Year.
Weber State hosts Southern Illinois Saturday in the first round of the FCS Playoffs.