14 Facts About Jess Hill

Jesse Terrill Hill was an American athlete, coach, and college athletics administrator who was best known for his tenure as a coach and athletic director at the University of Southern California.

Jess Hill played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball from 1935 to 1937, coached two national championship teams in track and field, and went on to become the first person to both play for and coach Rose Bowl champions.

Jess Hill played as a fullback for the 1928 USC football team, which won a national championship, and was a senior on the 1929 team that won the 1930 Rose Bowl, leading the Pacific Coast Conference with an average of 8.2 yards per carry.

Jess Hill's contract was sold to the New York Yankees in January 1932, and he reached the major leagues as a left fielder in 1935, batting.

Jess Hill began his coaching career at California high schools and colleges during baseball off-seasons.

Jess Hill was the co-head football coach with Jess Mortensen at Riverside Junior College from 1930 to 1933.

Jess Hill left Long Beach in early 1942 when he was appointed as a lieutenant in the United States Navy.

Jess Hill was an assistant coach on USC's 1947 Rose Bowl team.

Jess Hill became USC's head track coach in 1949 and 1950, succeeding Dean Cromwell, and won national titles in both years.

Jess Hill returned for one season as track coach in 1962 after the sudden death of Jess Mortensen.

Jess Hill then became commissioner of the Pacific Coast Athletic Association, retiring in 1978.

Jess Hill died at age 86 in Pasadena, California, of complications of Alzheimer's disease and buried at the Sunnyslope Cemetery in Corona.

Jess Hill had one daughter and one son, and grandchildren.

Jess Hill was inducted into the USC Athletic Hall of Fame in its second class in 1995.