James Hill
Head Women's Basketball Coach
 James Hill is entering his fourth season as the head coach of the Virginia State University Lady Trojan basketball team.
This season Coach Hill became the first VSU women's coach to guide the Lady Trojans to a Top 20 ranking in the USA Today/ESPN Women's Basketball Poll. VSU was ranked as high as #16, the team's highest rannking ever in the national poll.
The Lady Trojans, under Coach Hill's guidance, also reached as high as #3 in the Atlantic Region of the NCAA, marking the team's highest ranking ever in the regional poll.
Hill guided the Lady Trojans to a 21-8 record in 2008-09, becoming one of only three VSU coaches to reach the 20+ win plateau in the NCAA era. Only Bertha Cummings and Peggy Davis have reached 20 or more wins in a single season while at VSU. Only Cummings had more wins, with 23 in a single season.
Hill was named the CIAA Coach of the Week twice in 2008-09, and the Lady Trojans reached the semi-finals of the CIAA Tournament for the first time since 2002. VSU was also ranked in the Top 50 of the USA Today/WBCA Rankings several times during 2008-09, marking the team's first appearance in the poll since the 2001-02 season.
VSU was also ranked as high as sixth in the NCAA Division II South Atlantic Regional Poll and won nine of their first 10 games last season, a feat that hadn't happened since the 1995-96 team won their first 18 games.
For his efforts, Hill was named the 2009 CIAA Coach of the Year. The Lady Trojans were also given the award for the highest team grade point average in the CIAA that year.
In his first season, Hill guided the Lady Trojans to a 9-20 record, including a 57-46 first-round upset of Virginia Union University in the 2007 CIAA Tournament. The win was the first for a Lady Trojan team in the tournament in four years.
In his first season, Hill was named CIAA Coach of the Week twice, once after the Lady Trojans upset Fayetteville State and Elizabeth City State in back-to-back games.
In 2007-08, Hill coached the Lady Trojans to an 11-18 mark, and guided VSU to the second round of the CIAA Tournament. VSU also won the John B. McLendon Team Sportsmanship Award from the CIAA.
Hill is a native of Macon, Ga., where he attended Northeast High School. He played basketball for four years while at Northeast, winning the Best All-Around Player and Most Assists Award for three years. He also received the Grit Award, one of the highest athletic awards given in Georgia.
Hill landed at Shaw University, where he played basketball for three years while earning his Bachelor’s of Science degree in Allied Health and Professional Recreation.
He started his coaching career at Nash High School, where he was an assistant coach on the basketball and football teams.
Hill moved on to Apex High School, and quickly received an assistant coaching position at his alma mater, Shaw University.
During Hill’s tenure at Shaw, the Lady Bears won three consecutive CIAA championships, three Black College Championships, a South Atlantic Regional Championship and an appearance in the NCAA Elite Eight.
Hill was also named the CIAA Assistant Coach of the Year for two straight years while Shaw obtained an overall record 105-21 during his time as assistant coach.
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