Dan Hill of Rice Lake High School has been named Green Bay Packers High School Coach of the Week, a program presented by the Wisconsin National Guard, the organization announced Wednesday.
Hill, in his 7th season as head coach and 15th with the Rice Lake program, led the Warriors to a 46-35 victory over River Falls with the winner of Friday's contest advancing to the first round of the WIAA Division 3 Playoffs. Hill's team will now host the 5-3 West Salem Panthers this coming Friday at 7:00 p.m.
"The fans got their money's worth," said Hill. "With three conference losses, we had our backs against the wall and our kids did an outstanding job developing through the season and playing hard for each other. It was a very exciting game between two great groups of kids."
A Litchfield, Minn., native, Hill is a 1979 graduate of Sauk Rapids High School where he played quarterback and defensive back under his father, Minnesota Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame Inductee Ken Hill. After high school, he attended St. Cloud State University where he played defensive back for head coach Mike Simpson. Upon graduating, Hill began his coaching career in 1987 for the Katy, TX, youth football program. In 1992, Hill started the Rice Lake Junior Football Program before accepting the position as an assistant on the Rice Lake High School football staff in 1998. After eight years as an assistant, Hill was promoted to head coach in 2006.
Hill and his staff oversee a program of 100 players, including a varsity roster of 63. His assistant coaching staff includes Rob Berger, Chuck Carr, Nate Cook, Ben Hanvelt, Erik Hill, Pete Kolpack, Jim Peterson, Steve Schultz, Tom Tourtillott, Pat Walsh, and Andy Zook.
Hill and his wife, Konnie, have three children, Erik, Kristin and Kacie.
The Packers and the Wisconsin National Guard will recognize one outstanding high school coach as their 'Coach of the Week' winner during the 2012 high school football season. Winners are awarded several items and privileges, including a $2,000 donation to the school's football program from the Green Bay Packers, Wisconsin National Guard and the NFL, as well as recognition of the award on Packers.com.
*Nominations for Coach of the Week should be submitted by 10 a.m. every Monday to Tim Schroeder, youth football coordinator, at coachoftheweek@packers.com (e-mail) or by fax at (920) 569-7302. Please include the nominee's name, address, school, phone number and reason he/she is deserving of the award. *
