Joe Hillock Replaces Carlson as Director of Operations
By Bruin Basketball Report
Joe Hillock, who spent 10 years as the head women’s coach at Southern Utah, has been hired as the UCLA men’s basketball director of operations, Bruin head coach Ben Howland announced today. Hillock replaces Chris Carlson, who was announced as the head coach at UC San Diego on June 11, 2007.
“I am very pleased that Joe Hillock has accepted the position of director of operations,” said Howland. “Joe brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to our program and I’m very excited to have him join our staff.”
Hillock is Southern Utah’s all-time winningest women’s basketball coach with 128 victories. He was the Thunderbirds’ head coach for 10 seasons (from 1996-97 to 2005-06).
“I couldn’t be more excited,” Hillock said. “To be working with the staff that Coach Howland has assembled and to be working for what I consider to be the best coach in college basketball is an amazing opportunity for me. I grew up in Santa Barbara, Calif., and to be a part of something with such a storied history and tradition is an honor and a privilege for me.”
Hillock earned his bachelor’s degree in Physical Education at Southern Utah in 1976 and served as an undergraduate assistant women’s coach for the first varsity team at SUU during the 1975-76 season. He then went on to the first of two stints as the head boy’s basketball coach at nearby Milford High School (Milford, Utah) from 1978-79. After guiding Milford HS to back-to-back region titles, he served for 12 years (1979-91) as an assistant to Dan Fitzgerald at Gonzaga.
The 55-year-old Santa Barbara, Calif., native completed his master’s degree in administration at Gonzaga in 1982. After his stint with the Bulldogs, Hillock moved to Loyola Marymount where he assisted his brother, Jay, currently the Director of Pro Personnel for the NBA’s Chicago Bulls, during the 1991-92 season. After completing the 1992-93 season at LMU, he returned to Milford High as the boy’s basketball coach and athletic director from 1993-96 until taking the helm of the women’s program at SUU in 1996.
Hillock and his wife, Denise – a former star softball pitcher at Southern Utah in the mid-70s – are the parents of three children: Joe, Jr. (24), Heather (20) and Jordan (17).
(UCLA Press Release)
(photo credit SUU Athletics)
Labels: Team Misc News
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6 comments
6 Comments:
You have to love those Santa Barbara connections.
So this guy averaged 12.8 wins per year for a women's team that most people never heard of? Southern Utah? Are you kidding me? UC Irvine or Cal State Fullerton maybe but not UCLA. Couldn't we do better?
Hey Scott -
Coach any sport on any level to consecutive Final Fours and then you can start criticizing people.
Hey CoronadoBruin,
I played two consecutive years & started in college world series both years(Oklahoma State) & coached Mater Dei H.S. baseball as assistant to several leagues titles & finals etc. I also played minor league baseball for Minn Twins only one year though., had two back surgeries. I scouted for Cin. Reds 3 years. Give me you
phone # or email and you can honestly come to my home or I'll email you some photo's Coronado. Also first team all CIF in H.S. Football. There's more to list but I hope you get the point. Sorry eveyone else for the ridiculous bragging but Coronado boy ticked me off. I sucked at playing basketball but I'm qualified to criticize boy!!!
Hey Scott,
Thanks for the bragging. What does that post prove about your BASKETBALL knowledge? I totally trust Ben Howland and his abilities as a UCLA BASKETBALL COACH. As it turns out, Coach Howland and Joe Hillock were childhood friends, which means that Coach Howland knows, intimately, the abilites of Mr. Hillock. Beyond that, Mr. Hillock is an experienced head basketball coach whose responsibilities include making sure players make it to their press conferences. Maybe you can criticize a baseball coach, but you assuredly do not have the credentials to criticize Coach Ben Howland.
You sound like litle girls, I never criticized anyone. I just said we could have done better! I love Howland man! I agree Hillock will have minimum resposibilities but he's not UCLA quality! I didn't attend UCLA but I've been a fan over 30 years. Fortunately for me, my wife happens to be friends with the O'bannon brothers. She lived directly across the street from them & attended Artesia high with them. I've only talked to them a couple times & their very down to earth (very mellow). Go Bruins & thanks for the great site BBB!
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