Candice Hill knew she would be attending the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Next Generation Institute, a program for assistant coaches aspiring to become head coaches, held in conjunction with the Final Four. Just prior to departing, Hill got some excellent news—she was selected as the new head coach at University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). While her position was squared away, Hill still listened intently to all the information during the program.
“I took away some great nuggets about…accepting that everybody goes through ups and downs. It’s really about the resilience you and your program have,” said Hill. The WBCA has been a big part of her journey. As a college student, she participated in the So You Want to Be a Coach program and was later named to the WBCA’s Thirty Under 30.
She joins UMBC after three seasons with St. John’s University women’s basketball, serving as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator this past season. She served a crucial role in helping the Red Storm return to the NCAA Tournament in 2023 and is deeply appreciative for the knowledge Coach Joe Tartamella imbued. Hill was pivotal in upping the skills of star guard Unique Drake, who was MVP of the Seniors All Stars Game played during the Final Four.
“Coach Joe Tartamella brought me in as a piece to the rebuild of his program, and I believe that’s what I’m going to do here [at UMBC],” Hill said. “Another thing I will be able to take away from not only St. John’s but every stop I’ve been at is the effort to build relationships within the university’s community and outside of the community.
“Joe Tartamella taught me how to win, how to be strategic and honestly allowed me to be me,” she added. “I’m going to do the same thing with myself and with my staff. I’m going to have people on my staff that are proven winners, that have experience and bought into what I’m trying to do at UMBC.”
She is thrilled to not only take this next step in her career, but to do it in her hometown of Baltimore. There are some highly competitive Division I and II programs and Maryland, and Hill is looking forward to being part of the community.
“Growing up here makes UMBC so attractive to me, but it’s also based in a city where I know I can recruit to,” said Hill, who played her college basketball in Baltimore at Loyola University.