A beloved, accomplished baseball coach: Tim Hill, State College of Florida
They called him Seven. It was the number on the back of his baseball jersey. But it was a name that held so many meanings -- of a player, a coach, as a husband and as a loyal friend.
Coach Tim Hill built an extraordinary family with his wife Genny, both at home and on the field at State College of Florida as a coach and faculty member. His commitment to faith, family and individual and team exceptionalism left a world-class athletic department as his legacy that has increased national credibility for SCF and the Manatee-Sarasota community.
Tim strived for excellence in the classroom and on the baseball diamond. His dedication to cultivating student athletes resulted in a robust number of SCF students who received scholarships to major universities and who landed professional athletic contracts.
Coach Hill never lost touch with his students and their success as well as failures were shared by him every step of the way. SCF's baseball field is named after Coach Robert C. Wynn, the first coach for the college and deservingly so. But it is my hope that SCF considers naming the baseball complex after Coach Hill, whose hall of fame legacy carries the SCF name across the state and the nation.
Every institution is built on the strength of its faculty and the families that commit to it. Coach Hill and his son Tim Hill II along with the fortitude and grace of the SCF community have expanded the success of the region.
Seven made his last walk to the mound. And he will be missed.
Lars A. Hafner, Ph.D, former SCF president
St. Petersburg
Editor's note: Coach Tim Hill passed away Friday at the age of 71. Services are set for 11 a.m. Jan. 6 at Robert C. Wynn Field on the SCF campus. Hill served as SCF's head baseball coach for 31 years, earning numerous team records and personal coaching honors.
This story was originally published December 30, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "A beloved, accomplished baseball coach: Tim Hill, State College of Florida ."