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This feature is one of the many profiles we are doing to showcase our diverse CoSIDA membership during 2017 CoSIDA Membership Recognition Week. To see all the feature stories, please click HERE.
 

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Michael Hill II: Florida SouthWestern State College
Assistant AD for Media Relations & Social Media

by Barb Kowal, CoSIDA Director of Professional Development and External Affairs

Things that are of daily importance for Michael Hill II, the Assistant AD for Media Relations and Social Media at Florida SouthWestern State College, a two-year institution in Fort Myers, Florida:

• elevating the publicity and promotion for the young athletic department which currently supports NJCAA sports in men’s and women’s basketball, softball and baseball;
• involving himself in athletic department and college-wide strategies and branding;
• enhancing his self-taught digital and graphic design skills, skills which led to him designing the FSW basketball court floor;
• making time for his passion – bowling;
• and having sartorial splendor.

Hill is a 13-year veteran in athletic communications, with extensive experience at the NCAA Division I level with SID stops at Ohio University, Florida Gulf Coast, Xavier and the University of Arkansas. The Detriot, Michigan native also did an internship with the Cleveland Cavaliers after graduating from Bowling Green with a sports management degree in 2006.
 

After his work in Division I athletics, a popular question Hill faces is – what motivated him to move to a relatively young athletic department at an NJCAA school?

“I was at Arkansas doing soccer and helping with track and field and was the secondary contact for women’s basketball,” Hill noted. “At the time, the Florida SouthWestern AD was Carl McAloose, who had hired me at Florida Gulf Coast. He contacted me and asked if I would be interested in running my own office. I always wanted to be a director. He also knew how much I love this Florida area. That made it attractive to me.

“FSW also was a brand-new athletic department building a $30 million main arena, and I could have input as we developed. It was a unique opportunity. It is rare that, in your 30’s, you can say you helped start an athletic department.”

Hill leaned on his friends in the industry to offer guidance.

“I also was at Florida Gulf Coast when it was making the transition from NAIA to Division I. I thought, let’s see, I did a pro basketball internship, was in the Big East and SEC Conferences – let’s see how I can run my own thing. Really, it was a no brainer,” Hill said. “One of my best friends and former FGCU co-worker is Patrick Pierson, now Assistant AD for Communications at Arkansas. I said to him, ‘shoot me straight - is this a good move?’ Many might think going from Division I to the juco level is career suicide. I don’t. I know enough people in the industry and have solid relationships with D1 people if I ever want to transition back.

“Pat said, absolutely, this is the right move for you. When you have to make a big decision, you get confirmation from people who you look up to and who have your best interests in mind.”

Admittedly, Hill says there are have some bumps in the road with the rest of the FSU campus.

“Starting athletics here has been a different experience. We have to constantly educate people who work here. People are not wired like athletic folks; for instance, their offices close at 4:30 pm and that sometimes creates issues,” Hill said. “But, it is working out. I help walk people through understanding what athletics means for our campus. It’s all about education. We know they are getting it and are supportive.”

Raising awareness for FSW athletics in the Fort Myers community and on campus is a main component of Hill’s job.

“In my role as the athletic marketing person, we are seeing our efforts take hold. The community is embracing us, the campus people are embracing us. There is growing interest in our program.”

The lack of fall sports at FSU – although there is discussion about adding women’s volleyball in the future – creates a unique summer/fall for Hill and the rest of the Buccaneers in the athletic department.

“In my dual role as sports information and marketing director, planning and scheduling is critical, and I use the summer and fall to strategize,” Hill stated. “With no fall sports, I prepare for October through May in the summer, knowing that all the SID and marketing work falls on my shoulders. This past summer, I spent 2-3 weeks doing graphics – game day, postgame, player of week graphics, and designing templates for all our social media channels. I love graphic design and am thankful to have the time to focus on it in the summer. I also plan our promotions, work with sponsors, and get our event staffing squared away.”

To find that staff, Florida Gulf Coast is close by and a great resource.
 

“I’ve got great relationships with the FGCU athletic staff and with people in the community, and turn to them for help. I encourage other NJCAA sport information directors to build relationships with those in their area,” Hill said. “We don’t have big budgets for staffing, photography, etc., so you’ve got to be creative. I let photographers come and shoot our games for experience, and I ask them for photos in exchange.

"I also work FGCU games when I can, calling for basketball and inputting stats for volleyball. In return, when they don’t have events, their student assistants come over to our campus and help me out on our game days.”

Hill offers more guidance for those in the NJCAA trying to build their athletic communications efforts.

“What I’ve learned along the way is this. Learn or build on graphic design skills. And I would push my fellow SIDs to have good time management skills. Do the basics - statistics, game management, maintaining a solid website. And do short game previews and recaps! Reach out and build relationships so you have some game-day help.

“The biggest lesson? Don’t overreach. I would love to do hype videos that the big schools do, and do better motion graphics, but I just don’t have time to do this editing. Know the things you can get to at the end of the day. Then, do those things and do them very well.”

About that basketball court design in the Florida SouthWestern’s new multi-purpose facility, which opened last November right after Thanksgiving.

“One of the best things I’ve been able to do is apply my graphic design skills to big projects. In a campus-wide meeting when we were developing the facility, I volunteered to submit a design for the basketball court,” stated Hill. “Our President, Dr. Jeff Allbritten, was receptive. At first I had a pushback with the palm trees on the court. I showed them some courts around the country, and noted that Fort Myers is the City of Palms, so from a branding standpoint, it made sense. They let me run with it and the rest is history.”   

One of Hill’s biggest advocates is Mark Majewski, Boston College’s assistant director of graphic design services and BC’s men’s ice hockey contact. A few years ago, Hill reached out to Majewski, considered one of the top designers in college athletics and who is a popular presenter at CoSIDA conventions, and they’ve formed a strong friendship.

Majewski is effusive in his praise of Hill and his skill set.

“"My guy Mike Hill is someone who is trying to do things the right way in our industry,” Majewski stated. “He understands what resonates and he understand that meaning of establishing a brand. He has done magnificent work.”

Referring to Hill’s role at the NJCAA level, Majewski noted that “Michael has accepted the challenge of maximizing the limited exposure a junior college may receive and turned into something he can be proud of. Mike is catering towards the audience that he and his staff have established and knocked it out of the park. I am looking forward to what standards he will set going down the road."

There’s more on Hill’s bowling passion and drive for “sartorial splendor” in the Q&A below.
 

More on Michael ….

If you offered advice to new athletic communications/SIDs, what would you tell them they need to be successful in their jobs? 
Work hard and don’t worry about the hours. It all pays off in the end. Yes, sometimes there are 60-70 hour work weeks. But use your time wisely! When others are sleeping on the bus and plane on road trips, you are working. Just work hard and don’t pay attention to the hours. Learn to be a great manager of your time.
 
What do colleagues say are your best qualities?
These are my best and worst at times. I am a perfectionist, super detailed-oriented and hard on myself. I try not to slack off. If my name’s on it, I want to do the best job I can.
 
And what’s this about your attire, about sartorial splendor, that calls attention?
 I strive to be the best dressed SID in the country! How you present yourself distinguishes you. It’s the Detroit in me. We are known for dressing up and doing things outside the box.
 
I do own lots of shorts - colorful ones - to combat the Florida heat. But, I do not own a pair of khakis. I was a big “bow-tie Tuesday” guy at my other schools, but it’s too hot here to wear button-downs. I’m a big Cole Haan fan. My shoe game is always on point! At our basketball games, the student-athletes always look to see what I’m wearing, what pocket squares and lapel flowers I have. It’s “game day” for me, too, on game day!
 
You say one of your biggest interests and passions is ... bowling? How is that?
Detroit is a mecca for bowling! In fact, Michigan is one of the top states for bowling interest.
[Editor’s note: This is true. Michigan is the largest bowling market in the world. Detroit, specifically, Metro Detroit, claims the moniker "Bowling Capital of the World." Over 5,000 students compete in high school bowling with over 700 boys and girls teams.]

I’ve had a bowling ball in my hand since the age of two. Ten-pin is my sport! Bowling would have made me ineligible to play sports in college, due to the fact that I participated in so many tournaments growing up that had payouts. While at Bowling Green, I worked in a bowling alley and bowled in a league- and I drove back to Detroit every Sunday I could, making the 90-minute trip so I could bowl in a Detroit League. Commitment!

Here in Fort Myers, I’ve returned to the alley. I wanted to get back into serious bowling since I left college. I recently bought new shoes and a new ball. Last year, I had a 214 average. Now I am averaging a 227 in our league, the highest.

The question remains … have you bowled that perfect 300 score?
I bowled two 300 games in college. Hopefully I’ll get another one soon.
 
What inspires you?
A little bit of everything. We all want to be great in what we do. I have a niece looking up to me. Being a black male at my schools, I see the student-athletes and I want to give them something back. Some of these kids come from tough areas – inner cities like me, coming from Detroit. They come up and ask me about how I got into this, why I do this, and it inspires me to work hard and be an example for them.
 
One of my main mentors is Mike Robinson who is editor for the Swish Appeal women’s basketball media outlet. He wanted to push me to be better so I can be an example for someone else. Pay it forward. I came from where they are from. That pushes me.