Hill Leaves Cal Lutheran, Takes USF Job : Baseball Coach Moves Up After Building Team Into Division III Power

Rich Hill, who in six seasons coached Cal Lutheran to 193 victories and a prominent place among NCAA Division III baseball programs, has left the school to become coach at the University of San Francisco.

Hill will be replaced by Marty Slimak, Cal Lutheran’s top assistant and pitching coach the past four seasons, although the school has not yet made an official announcement.

Slimak, who met with Cal Lutheran athletic director Bob Doering on Friday evening, confirmed he has applied for the job.

“I got some pretty good, positive vibes, I’ll put it that way,” Slimak said. He declined further comment.

Earlier in the day, Doering said Cal Lutheran probably will introduce its new coach early next week.

Asked if the choice was Slimak, Doering replied, “We are hoping to solve our problem internally.”

Slimak, 40, a Moorpark resident, is credited with molding Cal Lutheran’s pitching staff into one of the strongest small-college units in the nation.

In 1992, the Kingsmen finished 43-6, thanks largely to a pitching corps that led Division III in earned-run average.

Hill, meanwhile, spent Friday filing personnel papers and acquainting himself with his new surroundings in San Francisco.

He replaces Ken Bowman, who resigned in May at the conclusion of his 13th season as coach of the Dons.

San Francisco finished 8-44 overall, including 5-25 in the West Coast Conference, 19 games back of first-place Pepperdine.

“What better situation could you go into as a new coach?” Doering asked rhetorically. “That’s an ideal situation. You can only go up . . . I think.”

Hill, 30, a Cal Lutheran graduate, had a record of 193-80 as coach of the Kingsmen, including a 75-15 mark the past two seasons, both of which ended in disappointment at the Division III national tournament.

In 1992, Cal Lutheran blew a lead in the ninth inning of the championship game against William Paterson. Last season, the top-ranked Kingsmen bowed out of the double-elimination tournament in two games.

Hill earned a reputation as a tireless recruiter while guiding Cal Lutheran through a transition in competition from the National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) to its current status in non-scholarship NCAA Division III.

“Rich will do a great job for them because he is an excellent recruiter and he doesn’t quit,” said Doering, who offered proof:

“He has the second-highest telephone bill in the department. That’s tangible evidence.”

Hill, a native of the Bay Area, declined comment when he was reached by telephone during his tour of the San Francisco campus.

USF officials have asked Hill and Cal Lutheran officials to avoid commenting publicly about his hiring until the school holds a press conference early next week.

Hill left his post as manager of the Chatham A’s in the Cape Cod summer league in order to fly to San Francisco.

Jack Hammond, general manager of the Chatham club, confirmed Hill has left his post with the A’s, citing a desire to start work at his new college post immediately.

“It’s a big blow to us, but I understand,” Hammond said. “This is a great professional move for Rich.”

Hill was in his fourth season as Chatham’s coach. The A’s are defending league champions and have won the league’s Eastern Division the past two seasons.

In other coaching moves confirmed by Cal Lutheran, Tim La Kose, former junior varsity coach at Royal High, has been hired as women’s basketball coach replacing Kecia Davis.

Davis has taken over the softball program and, for a period of one year, will be the school’s head athletic trainer while Rod Poindexter takes a sabbatical. Cheryl Aschenbach has been hired to assist Davis with the softball team. Steve Hawkins is Cal Lutheran’s new men’s cross-country coach and Mike Gennette has taken over the men’s tennis program.