HONOLULU — University of Hawaii head football coach Nick Rolovich hired Eastern Washington assistant Zak Hill as the Rainbow Warriors’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Hill spent the past seven years as passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the
HONOLULU — University of Hawaii head football coach Nick Rolovich hired Eastern Washington assistant Zak Hill as the Rainbow Warriors’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Hill spent the past seven years as passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Eagles.
“I’ve heard Zak’s name for a long time and I got the chance to see him work with quarterbacks at various camps,” Rolovich said. “I’ve enjoyed how he’s dealt with the kids. He’s a well-respected offensive mind and has been with a program that’s been consistently successful for many years. I believe who he is as a person will fit perfectly with the local culture.”
Hill has coached some of the top quarterbacks in the Football Championship Subdivision, including Vernon Adams, Jr. (2012-14), who was a two-time finalist for the Walter Payton Award as the nation’s top FCS player and current signal caller for the nationally ranked Oregon Ducks. Also among his proteges include Bo Levi Mitchell (2010-11), who recently led the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders to the 2014 Grey Cup and record-setting quarterback Matt Nichols (2009), who finished fourth in the Payton Award voting.
During his nine total years at EWU — including two years as a student assistant in 2004-05 — the Eagles ranked in the Top 10 nationally in passing eight times, six times in total offense, and four times in scoring offense. In 2015, EWU led the nation in passing (353.3 avg.) behind quarterback Jordan West, who ranked second nationally with 300.2 passing yards per game and 30 touchdowns. Also during his time at EWU, the Eagles won the Big Sky Conference (outright or share) six times and the 2010 FCS National Championship.
Hill joined the EWU staff in 2009.
Hill was a record-breaking quarterback at Central Washington from 1999-2003. He broke more than 20 league records and passed for 8,882 career yards while completing 60.2 percent of his passes and 76 touchdowns.
He threw for more than 300 yards in 11 games and had at least 200 yards in 24 games. In 2002, Hill led Central to an 11-1 record and was named a third-team All-American. He was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2013.
