Morgan State's Hill-Eley offered extension

By Ken Murray, Baltimore Sun

Morgan coach 'really can't say' whether one-year deal is enough

Baltimore - Despite delivering Morgan State's football program from an era of unmitigated losing, when the Bears endured 22 consecutive sub-.500 seasons, coach Donald Hill-Eley is not assured of keeping his job for another year.

Hill-Eley, whose contract is up in December, said the university offered him a one-year extension last week.

He declined to say yesterday whether he would accept a one-year deal.

"At this point, I don't know. I really can't say," he said.

In his sixth season, Hill-Eley is already the third-winningest coach in school history. But his 27 victories leave him far behind legendary coaches Eddie Hurt (174 wins) and Earl Banks (94).

Hill-Eley resuscitated a program that won 31 straight games and one mythical NCAA Division II title (1966) under Banks but had fallen into disrepair. Since he was appointed head coach in 2002 - after one year as offensive coordinator - the Bears have had two winning seasons and a pair of five-win seasons. They also had a 2-9 season in 2005.

Before 2002, Morgan had not won five games in any of the previous 22 seasons, a period that spanned nine head coaches.

University spokesman Jarrett Carter would say only that the school is "in negotiations and considering an extension" for Hill-Eley.

Floyd Kerr, the director of athletics since 2005, acknowledged the progress the football team has achieved under Hill-Eley.

Photo: Coach Donald Hill-Eley

"I know great strides have been made in the program, and we want to get this thing resolved as soon as possible," Kerr said.

After the Bears went 7-5 in 2002, Morgan president Earl S. Richardson rewarded Hill-Eley with a three-year extension of his original three-year contract.

But Hill-Eley went into last spring's recruiting season without any guarantee he would be back.

"It was an obstacle," he said. "It makes [recruits] kind of leery. I tell them they're not coming to play for Don Hill, but that they're coming to Morgan State and should look at the opportunity to get an education."

Under Hill-Eley, Morgan opened a pipeline to Florida recruits. There are 18 players from that state on the roster. Hill-Eley also upgraded his coaching staff by adding defensive coordinator Alonzo Lee and strength and conditioning coach Josh Bush in the past two years.

This season, the Bears are ranked fourth in the NCAA's Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA) in total defense, and sixth in rush defense. They have the leading rusher in the FCS in tailback Chad Simpson with 798 yards.

Hill-Eley also has seen the team's graduation rate jump from 52 percent in 2005 to 63 percent a year ago and 61 percent this year. In a conference call Wednesday, NCAA president Myles Brand said he wants every program in every sport to be above 60 percent.

"I think I've earned the right to stay longer, to continue to build the program," Hill-Eley said. "I'm invested in the school here. It'd be a shame not to be able to finish it off and let [another head coach] benefit."

The Bears are 27-34 overall under Hill-Eley. They take a 1-1 record in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (2-3 overall) into tomorrow's home game against North Carolina A&T.

"I'm here to coach the football team," Hill-Eley said. "No coach has control over his own fate. You work like hell and hope the people notice it and that they want to keep your around. ... I feel confident the administration is going to do the right thing."