Indiana University Athletics
Up Close with Mark Hill
10/31/2013 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 31, 2013
Coach Mark Hill is in his third season as the head strength and conditioning coach for Indiana Football. Hill owns 13 years of coaching experience and has been part of six bowl teams, including the 2000 national champion Oklahoma Sooners. In his first two years at Indiana, 11 Hoosiers have been selected All-Big Ten, including nine in 2012 - the most for the program since 2001.
What drives you each and every day to be an elite strength and conditioning coach?
"I want to do my best at anything I do, and I take pride in doing so, plus there are so many people who have helped me get to where I'm at, and I want to make them proud. The biggest thing is that I want to do my part to get Indiana Football to where we want it to be, and every day we train these guys it has to be on an elite level."
You've assembled a top-notch staff to work alongside you. Talk a little bit about those guys:
"They are a great bunch of guys, very energetic, very passionate about football. While they all are different in terms of personality, they all have the same attitude when it comes to training guys to get better at the game that they play. I have the utmost trust and respect for them all, and it makes my job so much easier to know that I don't have to micromanage what they are doing when they are training our student-athletes."
Indiana is one of just a few programs in the country to have the services of a nutritionist. What are the advantages of working directly with Amy Freel?
"One of the most notable benefits is that I don't have to do it. There were times in my career when I had to deal with meals, but having Amy Freel is awesome. I am able to lean on Amy's expertise in terms of getting our guys ready to go in the season and offseason. She does a great job helping our guys who need to gain or lose weight, in terms of prescribing dietary plans, and if need be going grocery shopping with them so they know what to purchase."
What do you tell a young student-athlete with aspirations of reaching the next level and preparing his body to play in the NFL?
"It's all about continued development. We want our student-athletes to be better off in their fourth year than they were in their first year. It's our job to get them physically ready to play, year-in and year-out, and if we develop them the way we know how, and they play up to a level to attract NFL scouts, it will all work out. Bottom line is we say - if you work hard and play at a high level, you'll be prepared."
What was your plan of attack/strategy when coming to Bloomington three years ago?
"First off, we wanted to establish discipline in what we do, which meant being five minutes early, doing things the right way, and holding guys accountable. Second, we wanted to get stronger and more explosive, which is a goal of just about every strength and conditioning program. Lastly, we needed to prepare for the style of offense that we were going to play, which meant getting in superior shape and being able to start fast and finish strong."
Having served in the same capacity at the University of Minnesota from 2007-10, are you excited to see some old colleagues this weekend in Bloomington?
"All the coaches that I worked with are gone, but I do have a good relationship with the Head Trainer and Director of Operations, and it will be nice to see those guys, but my focus will be on the game. I'm pretty locked in on gameday."
