Mike Hill is a North Carolina graduate who was in attendance the night the original Charlotte Hornets played their first game and considers himself a Carolina Panthers fan.
Tuesday, he added another connection to the state and its biggest city by becoming the new athletic director at UNC Charlotte.
The Clemson, S.C., native, who has spent the past six years serving as an associate athletic director in charge of marketing and revenue development at Florida, was named by chancellor Philip Dubois as the replacement for Judy Rose, who is retiring after 28 years in charge of 49ers athletics.
He is the seventh athletic director in the program’s history.
“This is personal for me,” Hill, who will officially take over on March 15, said at his introductory press conference. “This is home.”
In addition to his marketing and fundraising duties during his 25 years at Florida, Hill has helped lead several coaching searches, including those that hired Billy Donovan and Mike White in men’s basketball, Urban Meyer and Dan Mullen in football and Amanda Butler in women’s basketball.
Under his leadership, a “100 Years of Florida Football” fundraiser generated $6.1 million in endowments. He also created the Florida Football Ring of Honor and coordinated marketing and promotions campaigns for 21 sports.
Prior to his arrival at Florida, he served as an assistant athletic director at Ball State and as an assistant executive director of the Blockbuster Bowl.
He said he has set his sights high for his new assignment.
“We’re not in it to be ordinary. We’re in it to be extraordinary,” Hill said. “Gold is the standard.”
While Rose will step down from the AD position she has held since 1991, she will remain on at Charlotte as a special assistant to the chancellor for intercollegiate athletics. Her new role will allow her to finish out her term on the NCAA Council and other committees while also helping Hill transition to his new duties.
