Bill Text: TX HR339 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: In memory of Lewis Daniel Hill Sr., head men's basketball coach at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Passed) 2021-03-29 - Reported enrolled [HR339 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HR339-Enrolled.html
| H.R. No. 339 | ||
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| WHEREAS, Words cannot adequately express the sorrow felt by | ||
| the family, friends, colleagues, and players of Lewis Daniel | ||
| Hill Sr., the head coach of The University of Texas Rio Grande | ||
| Valley men's basketball team, who passed away on February 7, 2021, | ||
| at the age of 55; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The son of Gary and Annie Hill, Lew Hill was born in | ||
| Clinton, North Carolina, on April 11, 1965, and grew up in Mount | ||
| Vernon, New York, with a brother, Emory; an exceptional athlete, he | ||
| was an all-state basketball player at Mount Vernon High School and | ||
| an All-American for San Jacinto College in 1983 and 1984, helping | ||
| the Ravens to win a national championship; he went on to earn | ||
| All-Missouri Valley Conference honors at Wichita State University, | ||
| where he earned a criminal justice degree; he then competed | ||
| professionally for one year in Germany before returning to Kansas | ||
| to coach the team at Wichita East High School; and | ||
| WHEREAS, In 1990, Mr. Hill began his collegiate coaching | ||
| career as an assistant at the University of South Alabama, followed | ||
| by tenures at Southeast Missouri State and East Carolina | ||
| Universities; after serving as an assistant and associate head | ||
| coach at Texas A&M, he worked as an assistant at the University of | ||
| Nevada, Las Vegas, and the University of Oklahoma; and | ||
| WHEREAS, On March 31, 2016, Coach Hill took the reins of the | ||
| men's basketball program at The University of Texas Rio Grande | ||
| Valley; his leadership and expertise quickly transformed the team, | ||
| and during his second year, he led the Vaqueros to their first | ||
| postseason appearance in 37 years; UTRGV collected its debut | ||
| postseason win as an NCAA Division I program in the subsequent | ||
| 2018-2019 campaign, and he was named a finalist for the Ben Jobe | ||
| Award, which recognizes the top minority coach in Division I men's | ||
| basketball; in 2020, his players won 8 of 10 games down the stretch | ||
| and claimed the No. 2 seed at the Western Athletic Conference | ||
| Tournament, the highest ranking in school history; and | ||
| WHEREAS, In all his endeavors, Coach Hill enjoyed the love | ||
| and support of his wife, Franchetta Renee; he was the devoted father | ||
| of five children, Lewis, Sierra, Erica, Asya, and Elle, and he took | ||
| great pride in his six grandchildren, Joshua, Shaniya, Johnathan, | ||
| Ayden, Aria, and Denim; known for his charismatic personality, he | ||
| was a trusted friend and colleague to many and had a talent for | ||
| making others feel special; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Earning the lasting respect of his players and his | ||
| peers, Lew Hill made a positive difference in the lives of countless | ||
| people, and his contributions to UTRGV athletics will be | ||
| appreciated for years to come; now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas | ||
| Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Lewis Daniel | ||
| Hill Sr. and extend deepest condolences to all who mourn his | ||
| passing; and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be | ||
| prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of | ||
| Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Lew Hill. | ||
| Canales | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Speaker of the House | ||
| I certify that H.R. No. 339 was unanimously adopted by a | ||
| rising vote of the House on March 25, 2021. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
