Coach Johnny Hill guided championship football programs at Marshall Academy, Tupelo, and Oxford. A native of Indianola, he was a four-sport letterman in football, basketbll, baseball and track at Marshall Academy. Selected as "Mr. Marshall Academy," he received a football scholarship from UT Chattanooga, where he lettered in football as a defensive back and kick returner from 1971 to 1974. He began his 41-year career in 1976 as an assistant football coach at Holly Springs High. In 1980, Coach Hill returned to Marshall Academy, where he served one year as an assistant before being named head coach. He led the school to a distrct title before moving to Warren Central from 1985 to 1989 as an assistant. In 1989, he arrived at Oxford High, where he waas an assistant for two seasons before being named head coach. From 1996 to 2000, he worked as head coach and athletic director at Tupelo, where he led the Golden Wave to a regional title before returning to Oxford. Coach Hill's greatest coaching success was a Oxford, where he paced the Chargers to four district titles, three regional crowns, one Class 4A North half title, three Class 5A North Half championships and four state runner-up finishes. Overall, his football teams had 252 wins and 95 losses. As athletic director at Oxford and Tupelo, Coach Hill had tremendous success, as the Charger athletic programs claimed the Clarion Ledger Class 5A All-Sports Award 10 times, which included 32 state championships, and the Golden Wave program won All-Sports honors twice. At Oxford, Coach Hill helped establish new programs in soccer, fast pitch softball, slow pitch softball, swimming, powerlifting, and golf. During the years, Coach Hill has been recognized by the MHSAA as Coach of the Year four times on the district level, with three region awards, plus three football and basketball accolades from the MIssissippi Private Association. He was chosen as Athletic Director of the Year in 2007 by the Mississippi Athletic Administrator's Association. A longtime MAC member, Coach Hill served a term as MAC president and as president of the Mississippi Athletic Administrators, both in 2005.