Dr. Matt Hill is entering his 27th school year as the Director of Athletics at the University of Northwestern. An alumni of Northwestern, Dr. Hill is extremely passionate about serving the University and its students through his work as the AD.
While serving as UNW’s AD, Dr. Hill has been a “jack of all trades” serving in many different capacities at both the institutional and national levels. In 2009, President Alan Cureton promoted Hill to the role of Vice President of Student Life and was named a member of the executive leadership team. He served in these roles for ten years. In 2020, Dr. Hill was appointed to three prestigious positions within the NCAA. He served as the Vice Chair of NCAA Division III Management Council, the NCAA Student Athlete Reinstatement Committee, and the NCAA Interpretations and Legislative Committee. He currently serves on the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball National Committee as well, assisting with the field selection and operations of the National Tournament.
In addition to his national roles, Dr. Hill has been a very influential voice within the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference serving as the Chair of the Athletic Directors Council and the Finance Committee. During the 2012-2013 season, Hill served as the Vice Chair on the National Christian College Athletic Association National Board where he has also held the President role for three years. He also has served as a member for the White Bear Soccer Association and the Christian Community Golf Association.
At the start of Dr. Hill’s tenure, UNW (then Northwestern College) competed as a part of the NAIA, where Hill was named the NAIA Region III Athletic Director of the Year in 2003. In 2008 the Eagles transitioned to the NCAA Division III, in an effort that was spearheaded by Dr. Hill. In a very short time, UNW has become a force to be reckoned with at the national level in the NCAA. Men’s Basketball made the Sweet 16 in 2015, and the baseball team joined them with a Sweet 16 appearance of their own in 2021, falling one game short of the College World Series. Additionally, during this time, UNW Volleyball has become one of the top programs in the country, reaching the Sweet 16 five times, the Elite 8 three times and the Final Four twice. Northwestern has been named a host site for a total of four NCAA regional tournaments in 2016 (volleyball), 2017 (volleyball), 2021 (baseball), and 2022 (volleyball). In total, UNW has appeared in 43 NCAA national tournaments since 2012.
One of the reasons UNW was selected to host the NCAA regional tournament for baseball in 2021 was the outdoor facilities on the campus at Northwestern. Dr. Hill oversaw the SOAR project that was an $11 million capital improvement project for all outdoor facilities. Those facilities opened in the fall of 2014.
Some of Dr. Hill’s other accomplishments while at UNW are instituting the Eagle Success Program and the Athletic Leadership Institute. Dr. Hill also has a Title IX Senior Leadership Certification, and has been a national speaker on Fair Labor Standards Act, Title IX, Leadership Development, and Facility Expansion. Under Hill’s leadership the student life and athletic departments were named to the top division in the Star Tribune’s Top Workplace Survey. In May of 2024, he was inducted into the NCCAA Hall of Fame for his contributions to the organization, Northwestern, and God's Kingdom.
Dr. Hill graduated from Northwestern with a bachelor’s degree in marketing while also lettering in football, wrestling, cross country, and track as a student-athlete. He received a Master’s Degree in Teaching from Drake University, and completed his Doctor of Education degree in educational leadership at Saint Mary’s University (Minn.). Dr. Hill also has experience in coaching, having been a teacher and coach for six years in Johnston, Iowa with the varsity cross country, track, basketball, and tennis teams.
Dr. Hill currently resides in New Brighton with his wife, Miriam, and has three adult children, Ryan, Aaron and Lauren.
