Texas Border Business
RIO GRANDE VALLEY, Texas – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced on Wednesday a six-figure gift by former Hall of Fame men’s basketball head coach Lon Kruger and his wife, Barbara, both of whom are inductees into the Athletics Hall of Honor, to dedicate the Lew Hill Memorial Plaza as part of the upcoming renovations to the UTRGV Fieldhouse.
Construction on the outside of the fieldhouse, including the plaza, is expected to start in the spring of 2023 with completion in early 2025. This plaza is part of $30 million in facilities enhancements that were announced on April 6.
The announcement of the Lew Hill Memorial Plaza was made on August 10 to coincide with what would have been the 16thwedding anniversary for Lew and Renee Hill.
“I am super excited for this announcement,” said Renee Hill, the widow of Lew Hill. “I am both thankful and grateful to the amazing people who made this a reality for Lewis and our family along with all those who will have the pleasure to pass through UTRGV. This university and community have been family since we arrived. The Lew Hill Memorial Plaza is a testament to prayer and the sayings that ‘kindness wins,’ ‘a full heart feeds multitudes,’ and ‘basketball can take you many places.’ I know Lewis would be appreciative of all the efforts put into making this thought a reality. My continued prayer is that people passing through feel his presence, love, hard work, and dedication to people, basketball, and the endless opportunities after the ball stops dribbling. This piece of history, on this day, fills me with heavier emotions, tears, and smiles as I think about his smile and love for UTRGV and how it’s still felt here. He will forever be missed, never forgotten, always loved, and appreciated deeply.”
Lon Kruger was the coach at legacy institution Pan American University from 1982-86. Hill worked as an assistant coach with Kruger at UNLV from 2004-11 and Oklahoma from 2011-16. Kruger was instrumental in helping to connect Hill with UTRGV, as Hill took over as head coach shortly after Oklahoma’s 2016 Final Four run. Hill coached UTRGV from 2016 until his tragic passing on Feb. 7, 2021 at the age of 55.
“I’m so happy and pleased for Renee and the family that Lew’s being recognized for the terrific person and coach that he was,” Kruger said. “I certainly appreciate UTRGV taking the steps to make this happen in memory of Lew.”
Hill was the head coach at UTRGV for five seasons, making five-win improvements in each of his first three years, culminating with a 20-win 2018-19 season that saw the Vaqueros win an NCAA Division I postseason game for the first time while hosting two rounds of the CIT. For his efforts, Hill was a finalist for the 2019 Ben Jobe Award, presented annually to the top minority coach in Division I men’s basketball. In total, the Vaqueros made two postseason appearances under Hill, including an appearance in the 2018 CBI.
Hill’s teams never quit, rallying back from seven double-digit deficits in 2018-19 and then, after starting the 2019-20 season 6-14, winning eight of their final 10 to earn the No. 2 seed in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament, the highest seed in program history.
The Vaqueros picked up right where they left off in 2020-21, going 8-4 under Hill. In total, the Vaqueros won 16 of Hill’s final 22 games. Hill was posthumously awarded as the 2021 Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, National Association of Basketball Coaches District 6 Co-Coach of the Year, and the CollegeInsider.com Skip Prosser Man of the Year.
For his head coaching career, Hill won 67 games, the fifth-best total in program history.
Beyond basketball, Hill was passionate about bringing awareness to diabetes, personally leading the charge to host diabetes awareness nights at home basketball games.
He also believed greatly in giving back to the campus and the community. Hill was known for buying large amounts of breakfast tacos and walking to faculty staff offices around campus to deliver breakfast and thank his fellow UTRGV employees for their hard work and dedication. When UTRGV Athletics started a weekly story time series this past spring, Hill was the first employee to sign up, reading The Dinosaur Who Lived in My Back Yard with his daughter, Elle.
“We are so pleased to see Coach Hill and his legacy honored in such a meaningful way,” UTRGV Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque said. “Coach Hill was an incredible human being. He was a close friend, a tremendous colleague, and a leader of men. His passion for people is something that set Coach Hill apart. This plaza, when complete, will serve as focal point for our department and university community.
“We are most grateful to Barbara and Coach Kruger for their impactful support. Their commitment to UTRGV and their love for Lew, Renee, and their family culminates with today’s significant announcement. This is a fitting tribute for a man who meant so much to so many.”
Originally from Mount Vernon, N.Y., Hill was an All-State performer at Mount Vernon High School. He then went on to be an All-American point guard for San Jacinto Junior College, helping to lead the team to the 1984 NJCAA National Championship. He played his final two seasons at Wichita State, earning All-Missouri Valley Conference honors as a senior for helping to lead the Shockers to 20 wins and a berth in the 1988 NCAA Tournament.
Hill graduated with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and played one season professionally in Germany before starting his coaching career at Wichita East High School in 1989-90. He moved up to the collegiate ranks as an assistant coach at South Alabama from 1990-92.
From there, Hill worked as an assistant coach at Southeast Missouri State (1992-94), East Carolina (1994-98) and Texas A&M (1998-03) before getting promoted to associate head coach at Texas A&M for the 2003-04 season.
