Saluki head football coach Nick Hill has signed an extension to continue in his position, SIU Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Tim Leonard said Tuesday during the weekly Inside Saluki Athletics update. Hill’s contract had been set to expire in December 2026. 

“We want to win a national championship with Nick Hill at the helm, and we believe we can do that,” Leonard said on the show. “Coach Hill brings passion and energy to our program, and we are investing in football at a level that reflects that commitment.” 

Leonard did not originally say how long the extension would last or how much Hill would be getting paid, but SIU athletics announced on their website later that afternoon that it is a four-year extension, making Hill the head coach through the 2029 season.

“I’m excited and humbled for the opportunity to be head coach here,” Hill said via the release. “From day one getting the job until today, it’s been a dream come true. I come to work every single day with a vision to lead this program and I feel confident in doing so.”

Hill left no doubt that SIU is where he feels most at home.

“I still have a passion for this place,” he said. “This is where I want to be, this is where my family wants to be. We’re in that constant pursuit to bring championships here to Saluki Football.”

Hill wrapped up his 12th season on the SIU football coaching staff in November, having spent the last 10 years as head coach. Hill spent two years as the quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator before taking over as the head coach in 2016.

Hill’s head coaching record is 55-61 overall and 32-46 in the Missouri Valley Conference over those 10 years. 

Hill, a Du Quoin native, was also the starting quarterback his last two years as a player for the Salukis, leading them to a win over Big Ten school Indiana in 2006 and an FCS national semifinal finish in 2007.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

Sports Reporter Eli Hoover can be found at [email protected] or on Instagram @hoovermakesart

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