Winningest Coach in Program History
2022 Clay Gould Southland Conference Coach of the Year
2022 Southland Conference Champions
2021 Southland Conference Tournament Champion
2021 NCAA Fort Worth Regional Appearance
2019 Southland Conference Tournament Champion
2019 NCAA Nashville Regional Appearance
2017 Southland Conference Champions
2017 Clay Gould Southland Conference Coach of the Year
One of the Deans of the coaching fraternity in the Southland Conference, Justin Hill enters his 12th season at the helm of the McNeese Cowboys in 2025. He recently had a three-peat in SLC championship seasons from 2019-21, claiming four Southland titles in six seasons.
Hill recently concluded his 11th season with the Cowboys, leading them to their fourth championship game appearance in the Southland Conference Tournament in five seasons. Reaching 32 victories on the season, he recorded his ninth season with 30 or more victories, a program record, surpassing Tony Robichaux with seven. 2020 was cut short due to Covid with the team only playing 17 games on the season. One player was named to the 2024 SLC All-Conference First Team in Cooper Hext with three members of the squad earning a spot on the All-SLC Defensive Team (Hext, Conner Westenburg, Cameron LeJeune).
During the 2023 campaign, Hill recorded his 300th victory on May 23 one season removed from setting the program record in all-time victories for a Cowboy skipper, surpassing Tony Robichaux's former mark of 263 set on May 20, 2022. The 300-win milestone came against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the play-in game of the 2023 Southland Conference Tournament, rising 4-0 above the Islanders.
Entering the 2025 season with 333 all-time wins, Hill is looking towards adding more hardware to a trophy case that already includes two SLC Coach of the Year Awards (2017, 2022), two SLC Tournament Championships (2019, 2021) and two SLC regular season titles (2017, 2022).
In 2023, he watched as standout ace Grant Rogers was selected as a consensus All-American by all five major college baseball organizations while earning SLC Pitcher of the Year en route to being drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays. He oversaw three Cowboys earning All-SLC recognition with Rogers on the first team and all-defensive, Brad Burkel on the second, and Cooper Hext earn all-defensive honors.
His 2022 team saw the Cowboys capture the SLC Player of the Year (Payton Harden), Pitcher of the Year (Grant Rogers) and Relief Pitcher of the Year (Cameron Foster) awards in addition to his coach of the year accolade. In all, 17 Cowboys earned postseason all-conference honors including four on the first team (Harden, Rogers, Foster and third baseman Josh Leslie. Foster also earned All-America honors and was drafted by the New York Mets in the MLB Draft while he, Harden and second baseman Brad Burckel earned ABCA All-South Region honors.
In 2021, the Cowboys won the Southland Conference Tournament with a perfect 4-0 record and extending his post-season conference tourney winning streak to eight games. Outscoring opponents 35-5. A total of five players earned All-Southland Conference honors - RF Clayton Rasbeary, 2B Nate Fisbeck and LHP Will Dion to the 1st team; DH Tré Obregon III to the 2nd team; and CF Payton Harden on the 3rd team. Will Dion was named the league’s Pitcher of the Year to become the fifth Cowboy in school history to garner the conference award.
In his first season in 2014, Hill guided the Cowboys to 30 wins and followed that up with three more 30-win seasons to become the first coach in school history to win at least 30 games in his first four seasons and has since added five more to his resume.
During his tenure, 15 Cowboys have been selected in the Major League Draft - Grant Rogers (Blue Jays) 2023, Cameron Foster (Mets) 2022, Will Dion (Guardians) 2021, Shane Selman (A’s), Carson Maxwell (Diamondbacks), Cayne Ueckert (Cubs), Bryan King (Cubs); Grant Anderson (Mariners) 2018, Austin Briggs (A's), Shane Selman (Red Sox); Robbie Podorsky (Padres) and Collin Kober (Mariners) in 2017; Kaleb Fontenot (Rangers) in 2016; Andrew Guillotte (Blue Jays) in 2015; and Michael Clemens (Pirates) in 2014. Under Hill’s supervision, McNeese has earned 52 All-SLC (Any Team and Defensive Team).
Hill has mentored three Freshmen All-Americans in Joe Provenzano in 2014 and Bryan King in 2016 by Collegiate Baseball and Will Dion in 2019 by the NCBWA. Provenzano was as a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American (2017, 2018) while Bryan King received the prestigious academic award in 2019 and in 2022, Julian Gonzales received the academic award.
The 2019 campaign saw the Cowboys post a 35-26 overall record that included a shutout win over nationally ranked LSU in Baton Rouge. McNeese entered the conference tournament as a 5-seed and swept through the slate with an unblemished 4-0 mark to capture the team’s first NCAA appearance since the 2003 season. The Cowboys competed in the Nashville Regional where it dropped two hard-fought games to Indiana State (6-5) and Ohio State (9-8 in 13 innings).
Five Cowboys were named all-conference that season - DH Clayton Raspberry (1st team), 2B Nate Fisbeck (2nd team), 3B Carson Maxwell (3rd team), UT Jake Dickerson (3rd team), P Will Dion (HM). The third baseman Maxwell also became the program’s first-ever Cowboy player to be awarded with the ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove award and was named to the league’s All-Defensive Team.
Prior to a rebuilding year in 2018, Hill led the Cowboys to the 2017 Southland Conference regular season title with a 22-8 league mark, a school record for conference victories, and a 37-20 overall record. It was the fourth regular season title in school history and first since the 2006 season. He was named the SLC Coach of the Year, the first in his career.
That team was chopped full of talent as McNeese led the league in hitting (.305) and home runs (60) as well as ranking second in runs scored (410) as well as saves (17) and earned runs allowed (231). McNeese put eight players on the All-Conference squad, including outfielder Shane Selman who was named the league’s Hitter of the Year after he posted a .333 average with 14 home runs, 16 doubles and 59 RBIs.
The 2016 season was full of accomplishments for Hill and his Cowboys as they scored a program-best five victories over ranked opponents, including a 7-0 victory against ninth-ranked LSU in Baton Rouge. In conference play, McNeese captured 15 or more league wins for the third straight year, for just the second time in program history. In addition, the Pokes placed four on the all-conference squad and recorded 13 total victories over Top-100 RPI programs. The 2016 Cowboy team finished out the year by having played its way into the SLC Tournament semi-finals for the second time in four seasons.
With a 32-25 overall record in 2015, the Cowboys recorded 30 or more wins for the 17th time in program history and back-to-back 30 win seasons for the first time since 2002-2003. Following 2015, Hill became just the third McNeese head coach to guide the team to back-to-back 30 win seasons in his first two seasons.
In just his second year as the McNeese skipper, Justin Hill led McNeese to back-to-back 30+ win seasons for the first time in over a decade, finished with the most conference victories (18) since 2006 and guided the Pokes to their fourth consecutive league tournament. He became the second fastest coach in program history to score 60 or more wins in only his first two seasons. Hill mentored Senior CLASS Award finalist and McNeese all-time hits leader Andrew Guillotte, NCBWA Stopper of the Year candidate Collin Kober and Johnny Bench Award nominee Cameron Toole in the process.
McNeese’s 30-win season in 2014 was the program’s first in nearly five years while the Cowboys compiled 17 conference victories, the best since 2012. The two wins in the SLC Tournament was a team best since picking up two victories in 2010. Hill also became the first head coach since Mike Bianco in 1998 to win 30 or more games in his first season as the skipper for the Cowboys. He also was the first coach since Todd Butler to win in his debut as he picked up a victory over Chicago State. Five school records, six NCAA records and one Southland Conference record were either tied or broken by Hill’s first McNeese team. He also coached four All-Southland Conference student-athletes and three All-Louisiana honorees.
Throughout his career, Hill has coached or recruited 38 players that have gone on to play in the professional ranks (31 drafted and 5 signing as free agents), 12 All-Americans, two conference players of the year, a conference hitter of the year, two NCBWA Stoppers of the Year, a conference pitcher of the year, relief pitcher of the year, freshman of the year, conference tournament MVP, and a Louisiana pitcher of the year.
Hill spent the past several years learning from some of the best head coaches in college baseball, including legendary coaches Skip Bertman and Mark Johnson, former Southeastern Louisiana head coach Jay Artigues, and Mitch Gaspard.
In his first year at ULM, Hill coached a pitching staff that produced a 4.35 team earned run average, the lowest total in over a decade and over a full run lower than the previous year. The 2012 staff also broke the school record with 554.2 innings pitched. Junior starter Randy Ziegler was named to the All-SBC Second Team, and reliever Wil Browning was named the 2012 Sun Belt Conference Baseball tournament Most Outstanding Performer. Both Ziegler and Browning entered the professional baseball ranks after the season, with Ziegler getting drafted by the San Francisco Giants and Browning signing with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Hill spent four seasons as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at Southeastern Louisiana. The Lions averaged 36 wins per year during his tenure, including a school record 40-win season in 2010 - SLU opened the season 11-0 which included a season opening sweep of Mississippi State. SLU was ranked for a Southland Conference record eight straight weeks and peaked at No. 17 after winning 22 of its first 25 games.
Under Hill's guidance, the Lions ranked among the best pitching staffs in the Southland Conference. In 2011, SLU finished the year with a staff ERA of 3.91 and walked a league-low 159 batters in 494.2 innings (2.9/9 innings). Tyler Watkins was named the Louisiana Pitcher of the Year after going 10-4 with a 3.26 ERA. The 2010 staff put together a 4.29 ERA (before the bats were deadened) and issued just 3.4 walks per nine innings.
The 2008 Lion pitching staff led the Southland Conference in team ERA (4.26) and strikeouts (481). That year, Wade Miley became the highest drafted student-athlete in school history when the Arizona Diamondbacks selected him with the 43rd overall pick in the 2008 MLB First Year Player Draft.
The 2009 staff saw the emergence of reliever Chris Franklin as one of the top closers in the country as the junior set a school record with 12 saves and earned All-America honors. For the third consecutive year, SLU produced an All-American as Jordan Hymel earned Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America honors by finishing 7-1 on the mound in 2010.
Hill spent the 2007 season at Sam Houston State and helped oversee a team that went 40-24, won the Southland Conference Tournament, and advanced to the NCAA Regional Finals against Ole Miss after SHSU eliminated Southern Miss and Troy. The Bearkats posted the most wins by the program in 20 years, broke or tied 16 all-time program records and produced nine All-Southland Conference selections and two first team All-Americans.
With Hill's help, Bearkat closer Luke Prihoda won the 2007 NCBWA Stopper of the Year award. Prihoda posted a 7-3 record with a 1.16 ERA, broke the school and conference record for saves, and led the nation with 18 saves. He was also named a first team All-American, the Southland Conference Pitcher of the Year, and the SLC Student-Athlete of the Year.
Hill spent the 2006 season at LSU as an assistant coach under Smoke Laval. The Tigers finished 35-24 in Hill's lone season in Baton Rouge, producing three Major League draft picks, a free agent signee, and a freshman All-American.
He spent the 2004 and 2005 seasons on Mitch Gaspard's staff at Northwestern State. In 2005, the Demons went 41-20, won the Southland Conference Championship, and earned an at-large bid to the 2005 NCAA Regionals in Baton Rouge. The 2005 Demons produced two freshmen All-Americans and two Major League draft picks.
Hill began his coaching career in 2003 at his alma mater, West Monroe High School, as an assistant on Jeff Schexnaider's staff helping the Rebels to a district title.
During his playing days, Hill pitched at LSU for the legendary Skip Bertman. A two-year letterwinner and academic All-SEC performer in 2001, Hill was also part of the Tigers' 2001 and 2002 NCAA Regional Championship teams. Hill appeared in 19 games in his final season at LSU, throwing 19 innings while compiling a 1-1 record with two saves and 27 strikeouts before a shoulder injury ended his season.
Hill began his playing career at Mississippi Delta Community College before transferring to Bossier Parish Community College.
At BPCC, Hill recorded a 7-2 mark and a 3.74 ERA with a school-record 102 strikeouts in 77 innings, while limiting opponents to a .199 batting average. He was an All-Region 23 and All-conference performer and was also a member of the Dean's List.
The West Monroe native graduated from LSU in 2002 and earned his master's degree from Northwestern State in 2005.
Hill is married to the former Melissa Rawls. The couple has two daughters Lily and Rylie.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT JUSTIN HILL
Mark Johnson, former Texas A&M and Sam Houston State Head Coach and a member of the ABCA Coaches Hall of Fame and Texas Baseball Hall of Fame
“It’s a great hire for McNeese. He’s (Hill) an outstanding person and that’s what you hire, then hope he’s a good baseball coach. And with Justin, you’re getting both. He’s a strong character person and a man of integrity. He’s high energy and an outstanding baseball man. He’s had the advantage of being in various baseball programs and has been around a few different head coaches, all who have been a great influence on him. I see nothing but good things for McNeese. He will do well and will represent the university extremely well.”
Jay Artigues, former Southeastern Louisiana head coach and current athletic director
“I couldn’t be more excited than this opportunity for Justin. He’s the kind of young man that’s going to bring a lot of excitement to the program and community. He’s a true professional and really cares about his kids and they’ll see that on and off the field. He’ll have those players doing the right things in the classroom and in the community. He’s the kind of young man that I’d love to have my kids play for one day.”
Mitch Gaspard, assistant coach at Louisiana Tech; former Alabama and Northwestern State head coach
“Tommy did a great job in finding a rising star in the coaching business and a guy that has been around the Southland Conference and knows the league. He has great experience as a pitching coach and a recruiter and has done a great job in both. He’s ready to take that next step and be a head coach. He’s a guy that has a lot of energy and will be passionate about the job. He’s someone that people will follow and that’s what you need in a head coach. I’m excited for Justin. McNeese has hired a really good coach and person.”
Jeff Schexnaider, former ULM head coach
“I was fortunate enough to coach him in high school then he moved on and played and coaches for some very successful baseball programs. He possesses all of the characteristics of a great baseball coach. He’s very organized. He’s disciplined but fair and the kids relate well to him. He really knows the game. He’s coached at several programs for a lot of great leaders and he’s learned a lot. There’s no doubt he’ll be very successful.”
