Bob Hill back in the NBA

[Kori Ellis]

Hill, Lewis named Sonics assistants

08/27/2005

Associated Press


Bob Hill, former head coach of the San Antonio Spurs and Indiana Pacers, joined the Seattle SuperSonics' coaching staff as an assistant on Friday.

Ralph Lewis also was hired as an assistant under new Sonics head coach Bob Weiss. Weiss was hired as Seattle's coach on July 18, replacing Nate McMillan, who left the Sonics to go to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Hill has 30 plus years of coaching experience, including stints in the NBA, CBA, NCAA and international competition. Hill was head coach at Fordham University from 1999 through 2002.

At San Antonio from 1994-96, Hill led the Spurs to a record of 121-43, won two division titles and guided his team to the Western Conference Finals in 1995. In that series, the Spurs lost to the eventual NBA Champion Houston Rockets.

During the 1993-94 season, Hill worked as an assistant under Orlando's Brian Hill and helped the Magic register a 50-win season. After taking over as head coach for the 9-16 Indiana Pacers in 1991-92, Hill finished the season 32-25.

Hill compiled a 113-108 record during his three seasons with Indiana from 1990-93.

Lewis was head coach of the Huntsville Flight of the NBA Development League from 2002 through last season, compiling a 73-71 record in three seasons with the club, including two consecutive playoff appearances.

[FromWayDowntown]

With Bob Weiss and Bob Hill on staff, why didn't the Sonics go for the trifecta and hire John Lucas, too? Or maybe Mo McHone? Does Tark have a gig right now?

[whottt]

It's good to see Bob Hill getting another chance after David Robinson held him back and ruined his career in the 94-95 playoffs[/Spurfans]

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Guess I won't be sharing any more beers with Bob at the Fox 'n Hound in College Station when he scouts A&M games :lol

Damn, there goes my inside source.

[Solid D]

whottt = Bob Hill's son

:)

[Kori Ellis]

This is good for someone that I know who is trying to make the league. So even though I'm not a Bob Hill fan, I'm happy about it :angel

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Is Bob tight with our boy? Good stuff!

[blaze89]

I hope he does well....he's got a good offensive mind.....hopefully the ego will be checked in place.

[exstatic]

Guess I won't be sharing any more beers with Bob at the Fox 'n Hound in College Station when he scouts A&M games :lol

Damn, there goes my inside source.

Inside source for what? TEC office locations?
:lol

[SequSpur]

Bob Hill was a good coach. He just had a gravy trainer named Popovich run him out of town.

[AFE7FATMAN]

SeqSpur Your right.

Before anyone mentions he was a poor defense coach I would like to remind folks the 1996 spurs were 59-23 and ranked 6th out of 29 on offense
and :wow 4th out of 29 on defense.

with such "stars" getting the following $
Vinny del slow $1,747,000
Chuck Person $1,690,000 *
Charles Smith $3,357,000
JR Reid $2,658,000 *
Will Perdue $1,340,000 *
Brad Lohaus $485,000 *
Dell Demps $225,000 *
Monty Williams $845,000
Cory Alexander $490,000
Carl Herrera $1,300,000
Greg Anderson $485,000
Doc Rivers $1,150,000 *

DRob $7,700,000
Sean $5,333,000
and Avery $845,000

I can't believe these guys won 59 games and Bob Hill gets fired......
when they start 3 -15 the following year with DROB out and those players with an * no longer on the team. :blah :blah :blah

Funny DRob came back the game after Bob Hill was fired.

Upon hearing Bob hill was fired I remember Dominique saying "You've got to be kidding me"


BTW Bob Hill was 62 and 20 in 1995

Lets not talk about what Bob did at Fordham :lol

[my2sons]

so apparently his problems aren't x's and o's....maybe there was a reason david did not come back until hill left....of all the teams that hill left w/the exception of the spurs team when all the pop hatred devoured this city, i was not a hill fan, it was never his fault...he called the plays his player didn't run them....but getting back to my point of all the teams he left, yes college included i never heard anyone say gee i miss bob hill....it was always bye, or he took them as far as he is going to take them....but that wasn't his fault either....well looks like he has his dream job....at least as long as he is an assistant coach, it can never be his fault....

[Solid D]

so apparently his problems aren't x's and o's....maybe there was a reason david did not come back until hill left....of all the teams that hill left w/the exception of the spurs team when all the pop hatred devoured this city, i was not a hill fan, it was never his fault...he called the plays his player didn't run them....but getting back to my point of all the teams he left, yes college included i never heard anyone say gee i miss bob hill....it was always bye, or he took them as far as he is going to take them....but that wasn't his fault either....well looks like he has his dream job....at least as long as he is an assistant coach, it can never be his fault....

I appreciate your thoughts on this. I do have a suggestion for you on clarity of thought for next time. It would help me to follow your train of thought a little better if you broke all of that up into several sentences instead of trying to make it one unfinished (no periods) sentence.

[dunkman]

To many Spurs fans still cant forget the way the team lost to Houston in 1995. He and Rodman took all the critisism, and it took time to consider that Hakeem was perhaps a better player than Robinison, or was, at least, able to motivate himself more for the playoffs.

Was doubling Hakeem really the answer considering that Drexler, Horry and Cassell played for the Rockets?

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

That Houston series fucked Bob Hill.

Problem is, when they didn't double Hakeem he was on fire. THen the local yocals screamed for doubles, the staff was desperate, so they tried doubling.

Houston just had it going on in that series, but Spurs fans couldn't/won't admit that. There was no stopping that team.

[spursfaninla]

PEOPLE BRINGING THE "HILL WAS A GREAT COACH, ITS A CONSPIRACY THAT HILL HAS BEEN SHUT OUT THIS LONG", some other team would have picked the guy up if he wasn't a gravy trainer who got his coaching ass handed to him in the playoffs. He couldn't control Rodman, he didnt' make adjustments, and his team had good d by default of having 3 very good/great defenders on it (sean, rodman, david). A very similar team that was 6th with hill in d went to 1st or 2nd the next 8-9 years with pop.

If Hill had been great, you think other teams wouldn't have given him a chance? He was universally known as a gravy trainer who likes running teams, not a good coach. period.

[my2sons]

ok, do you understand this....bob hill sucks

[SequSpur]

Houston was the better team. The Spurs had David Robinson, Sean Elliott and a bunch of shit, including a point guard named Avery Johnson that couldn't hit the side of the barn from two feet away.

Popovich has been gravy training off of Robinson and Duncan for 10 damn years and it pisses me off.

Win a championship, rebuild, lose to the lakers, win a championship, rebuild, lose to the lakers.... win a championship......... what is the next saga?

Fuck Pop.

[Dex]

Something tells me it's not going to be losing to the Lakers.

Just a hunch.

[exstatic]

Houston was the better team. The Spurs had David Robinson, Sean Elliott and a bunch of shit, including a point guard named Avery Johnson that couldn't hit the side of the barn from two feet away.

Popovich has been gravy training off of Robinson and Duncan for 10 damn years and it pisses me off.

Win a championship, rebuild, lose to the lakers, win a championship, rebuild, lose to the lakers.... win a championship......... what is the next saga?

Fuck Pop.

You do understand that Pop has never had more that two All Stars in any year, and still won three rings. Bob Hill had that in Sean Elliott (two time AS in that era) and a Franchise player in David and couldn't win the ring. What's worse, gravy training off star players, or not being good enough to do so? Bob Hill sucks donky dicks as a coach.

[Extra Stout]

Houston was the better team. The Spurs had David Robinson, Sean Elliott and a bunch of shit, including a point guard named Avery Johnson that couldn't hit the side of the barn from two feet away.

Popovich has been gravy training off of Robinson and Duncan for 10 damn years and it pisses me off.

Win a championship, rebuild, lose to the lakers, win a championship, rebuild, lose to the lakers.... win a championship......... what is the next saga?

Fuck Pop.I don't know the next chapter, but I know that in the final chapter, Pop gets inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

And then in the epilogue, your chode explodes.

[Tek_XX]

What exactly was the reason that pop fired Hill? The 96 season, the 94-95 season, dislike among management, what?

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Look, I have no problem with the rumor that he wasn't a player's coach, that the players didn't like the guy. That's totally understandable, but a lot of teams got destroyed by that Houston playoff run, Hill shouldn't be singled out.

[Rummpd]

This will surely help the Sonics defense. Actually glad he is finally getting a chance.

PJ next to get what he really deserves when the first 'NBA coach fired next year?

[exstatic]

What exactly was the reason that pop fired Hill? The 96 season, the 94-95 season, dislike among management, what?

The chatter is that two players, one of which has his jersey hanging in the rafters , and one that is rumored to be having his raised next spring , went to Pop and begged him to fire Hill. He had lost the team. It had nothing to do with losing to Houston. That had happened over a year earlier. They took a step backwards by losing in the second round in 96.

[Solid D]

Some guys can go to the rack and finish.

Bob Hill went to the rim and couldn't finish.
Pop can finish...3 times....so far.

Next.

[exstatic]

^^^word :lol

[blaze89]

The chatter is that two players, one of which has his jersey hanging in the rafters , and one that is rumored to be having his raised next spring , went to Pop and begged him to fire Hill. He had lost the team. It had nothing to do with losing to Houston. That had happened over a year earlier. They took a step backwards by losing in the second round in 96.

I was led to believe that Hill's ego was part of the problem, when the Spurs won it was because of his coaching, when they lost it was the players fault.

[Useruser666]

I appreciate your thoughts on this. I do have a suggestion for you on clarity of thought for next time. It would help me to follow your train of thought a little better if you broke all of that up into several sentences instead of trying to make it one unfinished (no periods) sentence.

Maybe he thought the extra 100 or so periods made it clear?

[Solid D]

Maybe he thought the extra 100 or so periods made it clear?

:)
I'm quite confident my2sons will express him/herself(?) better next time. Nobody is perfect, including me.

[exstatic]

I was led to believe that Hill's ego was part of the problem, when the Spurs won it was because of his coaching, when they lost it was the players fault.

That's why the players wanted him gone.

[cherylsteele]

Why do people seem to think the the Houston series is what broke the camels back regarding Bob Hill.

Hill was let go 2 yrs later after we the Spurs lost to Utah 4 -2. Many people...including me.....believe that the team basically quit playing for Hill against Utah.

I don't think it was a coincidence that DRob's bsck made him sit out the beginning of the year...I am not saying he wasn't hurt mind you.....but I have a feeling the DRob gave the spurs an ultimatum....if Hill stays I won't play. Thus Hill is canned.

I never liked Hill as a coach, when we hired him I was disappointed, he had good teams in New York and Indiana and did no better there.

[exstatic]

Actually, it was one year, plus a month of a season. SA lost to Houston in 95, and Hill was canned a month or two into the 96-97 season. I agree though that it was the poor 96 Utah series ( a backward step from the WCF) and player discontent that did him in.

[cherylsteele]

Actually, it was one year, plus a month of a season. SA lost to Houston in 95, and Hill was canned a month or two into the 96-97 season. I agree though that it was the poor 96 Utah series ( a backward step from the WCF) and player discontent that did him in.

I meant to say during the 2nd year after the houston series. You exstatic are are right...I was too general on the timeline.

[slayermin]

I wonder if Bob will hit UR Cooks when Seattle visits SA.

[blaze89]

Actually, it was one year, plus a month of a season. SA lost to Houston in 95, and Hill was canned a month or two into the 96-97 season. I agree though that it was the poor 96 Utah series ( a backward step from the WCF) and player discontent that did him in.

I read that Hill lost the players during the 96 playoffs, that Popovich should have fired him then but decided to wait a while longer...then 96-97 playoff started.

But I don't think it was Robinson who wanted him gone...I know Avery Johnson said "it was time for a change" and others. In this case it was easier to remove one coach that remove several players.

[exstatic]

I wonder if Bob will hit UR Cooks when Seattle visits SA.

It's no longer there.

[exstatic]

I read that Hill lost the players during the 96 playoffs, that Popovich should have fired him then but decided to wait a while longer...then 96-97 playoff started.

Thei first part is right, but to clarify the timeline: Bob Hill was fired in December of 1996, roughly five weeks into the season. There were no 96-97 playoffs for the Spurs. Missing them was what netted us some young PF draft pick from Wake Forest. ;)

[blaze89]

Thei first part is right, but to clarify the timeline: Bob Hill was fired in December of 1996, roughly five weeks into the season. There were no 96-97 playoffs for the Spurs. Missing them was what netted us some young PF draft pick from Wake Forest. ;)

Your right, didn't catch that...meant the 96-97 regular season.