El Dorado names Chris Hill head football coach

By Kyle Sutherland | Photo by Jaison Sterling 

A coaching search that had been ongoing since before Thanksgiving came to an end Tuesday night when the El Dorado School Board unanimously voted Chris Hill as the program’s next head football coach. 

“El Dorado is one of the premier jobs in the state, and I’m thrilled about the opportunity,” Hill said in a press release from the school. “The rich tradition of Wildcat football, outstanding community support, and awesome facilities make it a great place to live and work. I look forward to meeting the student-athletes, faculty, and staff and being part of the El Dorado community.”

After stepping away from the high school ranks from 2017-19 to be offensive coordinator at Harding University, his alma mater, Hill took over at Sylvan Hills prior to the 2020 season and led the Bears to the 6A-East championship and the state semifinals, finishing with a 9-4 record in his first season.

That would be the peak of Hill’s career with the Bears as they were defeated by Mountain Home in the first round of the 2021 playoffs and won only three games in 2022.

Hill’s other head coaching tenures include Morrilton (2003-05), Van Buren (2006-07), Ashdown (2008-09), Bossier Parish, La. (2010) and Wynne (2011-16). 

El Dorado is coming off a 5-6 season and was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs after winning the program’s 10th state title in 2021 under Steven Jones.