San Jose State canned Fitz Hill.
I think Willingham and Croom are the only african-american head coaches.
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</TD><TD>Posted on Tue, Nov. 23, 2004</TD><TD width=15 rowSpan=7>
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Fitz Hill out at San Jose
By MARK GOMEZ
San Jose Mercury News
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SAN JOSE, Calif. - The night before making the official announcement, Fitz Hill gathered his players for a team meeting to break the news: He was stepping down as San Jose State football coach at the request of Don Kassing, the university's interim president.
At a news conference Monday, Hill said he has accepted a position as a visiting scholar and research associate at the University of Central Florida's DeVos Sports Business Management Program. Hill, 40, leaves with two years remaining on his guaranteed contract of $166,000 per year and an overall record of 14-32.
Hill avoided the specifics surrounding his departure, as did Kassing. The move came just three weeks after the announcement that Athletic Director Chuck Bell will retire Dec.1. Hill will coach the Spartans' season finale Saturday against Fresno State.
"My goal was to step aside and allow those who feel like the program can move forward to continue to do that," Hill said. "And the young men who I feel to suffer are my student-athletes. What I want them to see is the grace and dignity that you handle adversity with. You don't point fingers. You accept it as it is."
Hill gathered his players Sunday night and told them that Kassing had asked him to step down. According to players, Hill said the decision was based largely on wins and losses.
"It's a shocker. Nobody expected it," safety Eric Wilson said. "Him being a team leader, he wanted to do what's best for his players. He said if that's what's best for the program, that's what I'll do."
Kassing was out of town and unavailable for comment. In a statement, he said: "We will miss Fitz and the positive energy he brings. We thank him for his years of dedicated service to San Jose State and the inspiration he has provided to so many student-athletes."
Several players attended the news conference and were still in shock, especially many of the 31 juniors who were part of Hill's first recruiting class - safety Josh Powell, linebacker Ezekiel Staples and Wilson among them.
"I'm pretty much in a state of depression," said Staples, adding that several players were upset with Kassing's decision. "The way this business works is cutthroat. When it goes down like that, I'm pretty sure they're not looking at the way he's helped some of the athletes. He made members of our team better men."
Hill was hired in December 2000 to replace Dave Baldwin, who went 7-5 that season but was fired by Bell during a contract dispute. Hill went 3-9 in his first year with many of the same players who had given the Spartans their only winning season since 1992.
The 2002 season was Hill's most successful; the Spartans went 6-7 - including a road win over defending Big Ten Conference champion Illinois - and were one victory short of becoming bowl-eligible. Since then, SJSU has won just five games - two against Division I-AA schools.
If the Spartans lose to Fresno State, they will finish 2-9 and match the 1970 and `93 squads for the school's worst record since 1931.
"We're not producing wins like we're supposed to be, so of course the coach is going be in the spotlight," Staples said. "You think, we messed it up this year. Maybe next year we can really step it up for him and secure their position. Their livelihoods depend on us. That's what it ultimately comes down to."
This season has been especially disappointing for SJSU faithful. The Spartans played their most favorable schedule in at least a decade, with no big-money games against national powers and a balanced number of home and away games. Despite that, SJSU is mired in a six-game losing streak.
"Most people expected more at this point," said Andy Ghiggeri, a former Spartan Foundation and Quarterback Club president. "At this point, we expected more wins, no doubt about that. I'm convinced this team should have had a winning season."
But Hill was not without supporters. Bell, who hired Hill off the Arkansas coaching staff, still firmly believes Hill is the right man for SJSU, as a coach, leader and role model.
"I just think he's done so much for the kids that it was too short a stay," Bell said. "That's for sure. It takes a long time to build a program back that's been down for a long time. "
SJSU is now searching for an athletic director and a football coach at a time crucial for recruiting. Signing day is in early February.
"We'll do everything we can to keep in touch with these kids we are recruiting now, but obviously it will impact us," said John Glass, SJSU's interim athletic director. "The A.D. will be hired as expeditiously as possible. His or her first job will be to hire a new coach. That should come together fairly quickly if we're going to salvage a recruiting year."
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One less african-american head coach in D-1A
