By By Matthew Nascone
Escambia County head football coach Kyle Davis was reunited with a former baseball teammate June 11 when the Escambia County School Board hired David Hill to be an assistant baseball coach at ECHS.
Davis and Hill were college teammates at Huntingdon College in 2002 during the baseball season. Davis was a senior power hitter and Hill was a freshman pitcher.
Hill will assist Jonathan Rasberry, also hired June 11, on the baseball diamond. But Hill said it would be fun to get reacquainted with a college teammate.
"Kyle had that senior leadership when I was there," Hill said. "He would always have the younger guys over when he was grilling out and he would help us with anything we needed. I believe he now has that attitude times 100 with his kids. That is a big reason why I took this job. I know it will be a great atmosphere to work in."
Hill will also coach the secondary for the Blue Devils on the football field. He has never coached football and he said it should be a great experience.
"It will be exciting to learn with the guys and I am excited to get out there on Friday nights," Hill said. "I want to help build this program as much as I can."
Before joining the ECHS staff, Hill was a pitching and outfield coach at Jefferson Davis Community College in 2007. He played four years of high school baseball at Fair Hope High School and four years of college ball at Huntingdon College.
Davis said there are definite positives to hiring a former teammate.
"It is always good to have someone on your staff that you know and trust," Davis said. "And being teammates in the past, we know each other's work ethic and we already have that relationship that is needed to be successful. I think David will do a fantastic job with baseball and he will get the kids fired up to play ECHS baseball."
Inside the classroom, Hill will teach ninth grade world history.