Panthers Wide Receivers Coach Aubrey Hill Passes Away at Age 48

Photo courtesy of FIU Athletics.

Richard Gibson/Staff Writer

On August 16th, FIU Athletics announced that their wide receivers coach, Aubrey Hill, had passed away from a long battle with cancer. Aubrey had entered his fourth season with the Panthers since joining the team in 2017, Hill was 48 years old.

Hill’s career was defined by his skill and knowledge of the game of football. Born and raised in Miami, Hill played high school football at Miami Carol City Senior High. From there, he would begin his college career at the University of Florida.

He played under head coach Steve Spurrier as a standout wide receiver from 1991-94  During that time, he recorded 86 receptions and 18 touchdowns, while helping the Gators reach three SEC championships.

Not long after he graduated, Hill became a graduate assistant coach at his alma mater of UF for three years. During his first year in 1997, the Gators won the Sugar Bowl, earning them their first-ever national championship. 

Hill then became a wide receivers coach for a few college teams, including Duke, Elon, and Pittsburgh. He then returned to the state of Florida where he became the wide receivers coach at the University of Miami for two years. He would also be given the role of recruiting coordinator in his second year.

After UM, Hill returned to Miami Carol City for four years as their head coach. Hill led the Chiefs to a State Championship in 2016. For his efforts, he was given the 2016 High School Coach of the Year Award from the Miami Dolphins. He was a finalist for the NFL High School Coach of the Year Award.

When he became the wide receivers coach for FIU in 2017, the receiving core saw massive improvements. Five different receivers earned over 300 yards, with Thomas Owens earning 887 yards. He was 151 yards shy of T.Y. Hilton’s record of 1038.

The offense improved in 2018, with receivers CJ Worton, Maurice Alexander, and Austin Maloney having standout years. Alexander earned 824 yards, 40 receptions, and eight touchdowns. The success carried over into 2019 as well. Maloney earned 19.36 yards per catch, which was 17th in the nation. 

Overall, Hill helped lead the Panthers to three bowl games during his tenure at FIU, including a victory in the 2018 Bahamas Bowl over Toledo. With his help, FIU tied their record for wins in 2017 with eight, only to break it in 2018 with nine. 

According to head coach Butch Davis, “Aubrey was loved and adored by so many who saw him not only as a coach but as an amazing husband and father. We mourn his loss, but we will also hold on to the great memories he left behind and how honored we all were to be a part of his life.”

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