Letter from the Vice President & Director of Athletics
Dear UTRGV Family,
Greetings from UTRGV Athletics! I want to personally thank you for your interest in and support of UTRGV Athletics. My second year as Director of Athletics, fully during a pandemic, was one unlike any other. As I reflect on the year, however, I am enthusiastic about our future and proud of the young men and women that represent you, our university, and the Rio Grande Valley through Division I competition.
As you read this report, you will have the opportunity to learn more about how our student-athletes experienced significant success in competition, in the classroom and in the community.
Some of the highlights include Desirea Buerge reaching the semifinals of the U.S. Track & Field Olympic Trials, our track & field teams combining for eight WAC Championships, our baseball team reaching the WAC Tournament Championship Series for first time in program history, our men’s soccer team’s top 25 ranking in the United Soccer Coaches Poll for the first time in program history, and our women’s soccer team recording its fifth-straight winning season.
Even with a full year of virtual learning, our student-athletes continued to excel academically, posting a cumulative departmental grade point average of 3.23 and combining for 108 Academic All-WAC honors. When it comes to community service, I could not be prouder of our young people. Even in a year in which community service was limited due to the pandemic, our men’s golf team ranked 10th in the nation in community service hours among NCAA Division I men’s golf programs.
The impact of our young people went well beyond the traditional metrics, though, as our student-athletes took the initiative to launch Vaqueros United, a collaboration between UTRGV Athletics, the UTRGV Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and our campus community to motivate our community in continuing meaningful conversations of peace, equality, social justice, and human rights through the utilization of our public platforms.
One of our early leaders in these conversations was our men’s basketball coach, Lew Hill, and we were all shocked and devastated when we learned of his passing on February 7. Lew was not only a trusted colleague, but a friend. He was a father figure for his team and a loving father and husband for his family. The outpouring of support following his passing, however, was tremendous. We are so proud to see the Lew Hill Memorial Fund produce an endowed scholarship that, at the direction of the Hill family, is open to all students at UTRGV. Education was big for Lew, and I have no doubt he’s smiling down on us.
As you review this report, I hope you are as impressed as I am with the success of UTRGV Athletics and the growth we have witnessed over the years. As we continue to grow Division I athletics in the Valley, I am confident the success we experience together will only enhance the brand and identity of our region.
Thank you for your loyal and continued support of our student-athletes and coaches. You are critical to helping us #RallyTheValley!
Peace & Love
UTRGV Athletics was shocked and saddened when men’s basketball head coach Lew Hill passed away on Feb. 7, 2021 at the age of 55. Hill coached the Vaqueros in a 77-75 loss to Texas Southern in Houston the previous night.
Hill was the head coach at UTRGV for five seasons, taking over the program in 2016 and making fivewin improvements in each of his first three years, culminating with a 20-win 2018-19 season that saw the Vaqueros win an NCAA DI postseason game for the first time while hosting two rounds of the CIT. For his efforts, Hill was a finalist for CollegeInsider.com’s Ben Jobe Award, presented annually to the top minority coach in Division I men’s basketball. In total, the Vaqueros made the postseason twice under Hill, including the
was a finalist for CollegeInsider.com’s Ben Jobe Award and Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award, the latter of which is given annually to those who not only achieve success on the basketball court but who display moral integrity off the floor as well.
Beyond basketball, Hill was passionate about bringing awareness to diabetes, personally leading the charge to host diabetes awareness nights at home basketball games.
He also believed greatly in giving back to the campus and the community. Hill was known for buying large amounts of breakfast tacos and walking to faculty and staff offices around campus to deliver breakfast and thank his fellow UTRGV employees for their hard work and dedication.
Hill’s teams never quit, rallying back from seven double-digit deficits in 201819 and then, after starting the 2019-20 season 6-14, winning eight of their final 10 to earn the No. 2 seed in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament, the highest seed in program history.
The Vaqueros picked up right where they left off in 2020-21, going 8-4 under Hill. In total, the Vaqueros won 16 of Hill’s final 22 games. For his head coaching career, Hill won 67 games, the fifth-best total in program history.
Hill was honored with the 2021 WAC Coach of the Year Award and
When UTRGV Athletics started a weekly story time series this past spring, Hill was the first employee to sign up, reading The Dinosaur Who Lived in My Back Yard with his daughter, Elle.
Hill often spoke out on issues of social justice, speaking to multiple media outlets in the wake of George Floyd’s murder and again about the NBA and WNBA canceling games following the shooting of Jacob Blake. Hill was also a key part of round table discussions with The Monitor and Vaquero Radio as well as a healing circle that was open to all of campus.
Hill is survived by his wife, Renee, their two children, Lewis Jr. (LJ) and Elle, and three other daughters, Sierra, Erica and Asya.
In lieu of flowers, the Hill family asked for donations to the Lew Hill Memorial Fund. The community responded in a big way, as the fund reached endowment status in June. The Hill family directed the funds to create a yearly scholarship in Coach Hill’s name.
27%
DOMESTIC INTERNATIONAL
3.23 CUMULATIVE DEPARTMENTAL GPA 983 ACADEMIC PROGRESS RATE
108
ACADEMIC ALL-WAC HONORS
395 AD HONOR ROLL RECOGNITIONS TEAMS WITH THE HIGHEST GPA
3.68
3.60 MEN’S GOLF WOMEN’S TENNIS
Vaqueros United was developed in the summer of 2020 to motivate our community in continuing meaningful conversations of peace, equality, social justice, and human rights through the utilization of our public platforms.
INITIATIVES
Work closely with the Student Government Association, the Black Student Union, the UTRGV Police Department, The Herd, Student Affairs, University Marketing & Communications, the President’s Office and other offices and organizations within the UTRGV campus community.
As a Vaquero and member I am committed to upholding walks of life and addressing I am committed to stopping starting productive discussions and understanding. I stand of all races, genders, religions, stand united with my fellow and hatred. We share a commitment the conversation of love, acceptance, for social justice and human promote peace, love, and equality. for Change. We are Vaqueros Vaqueros United
Create a video series that promotes the commitment of individuals and the department as a whole to celebrate the diversity within UTRGV Athletics.
Make Election Day an off day from all athletic related activity.
Host roundtable discussions with student-athletes, staff, and outside guests to promote safe, open dialogue and bring awareness to the issues being faced.
of the UTRGV Community, upholding the rights of people of all addressing the inequalities of society. divisive conversations and discussions that promote unity committed to the inclusion religions, and nationalities. I fellow Vaqueros against racism commitment to continuing acceptance, and awareness human rights. Together, we will equality. We are Vaqueros Vaqueros United.
Participate in discussions with media outlets to promote change. See just how UTRGV studentathletes, coaches and staff are making their voices heard by clicking here. Join Us. Take the Pledge. GoUTRGV.com/VaquerosUnited
Competitive Excellence
Men’s basketball opened the season 8-3, marking its best start in 19 years.
Baseball opened the season with a series win over Baylor, won 32 games, and then punctuated the year by reaching the WAC Tournament Championship Series forthe first time in program history.
Burcu Soysal was selected to work out with the Turkish National Team in the run up to the Olympics.
Men’s golf posted four top-five finishes, including a victory at the Colin Montgomerie Invitational. This marks the seventh win for the program since the start of the 2018 spring season.
Julie Lucio earned her firstcareer win by taking the UTRGV Invitational.
Men’s soccer was ranked in the top 25 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll for the first time in program history and earned the No. 2 seed in the WAC Tournament for the second time in program history.
Women’s soccer recorded its fifth-straight winning season and its third season of 10 or more wins.
Men’s tennis earned WAC Doubles Team of the Week awards four different times, with Zane Kohrs and Luka Jankovic earning the award twice.
Women’s tennis earned six All-WAC honors, led by WAC Freshman of the Year Isabelle Bahr.
Track & field hosted the WAC Championships and won eight individual WAC Championships.
Desirea Buerge qualified for the U.S. Olympics trials in the discus, reaching the semifinals and placing 11th in the country. She finished the season ranked 63rd in the world.
Ada Bulgur earned All-WAC Volleyball Freshmen Team honors.
New Head Coaches
Bryheem Hancock | Men’s Soccer
Bryheem Hancock joined UTRGV in December and made an immediate impact, leading the Vaqueros to a top 25 ranking during the spring season. He spent the previous three seasons as the head coach at Radford, leading his team to a second place finish in the Big South in 2018 and to a 10-win season in 2017. Prior to his time at Radford, Hancock spent eight seasons as an assistant coach at South Florida. Hancock played collegiately at UConn, winning an NCAA Championship and earning NSCAA All-American and Big East Goalkeeper of the Year honors as a senior. He was the first goalkeeper selected in the 2001 Major League Soccer Draft, getting picked by the L.A. Galaxy before playing with the Atlanta Silverbacks and Toronto Lynx.
Matt Figger | Men’s Basketball
The 2017-18 Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Coach of the Year Matt Figger, who had been the head coach at Austin Peay for the last four seasons, was hired as the new head coach in March. During his four years at Austin Peay, Figger compiled a 76-51 record, including a 49-25 mark in OVC play. During his second season, the Governors reached 20 victories for the first time since 2010-11. Figger also became the first Austin Peay coach with double- digit conference wins in each of his first two seasons. Figger went to Austin Peay on the heels of a whirlwind Final Four run as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at South Carolina. He was also the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Kansas State from 2007-12.
Shareese Hicks | Track & Field and Cross Country
Shareese Hicks joined UTRGV in July after spending the previous two seasons as an assistant coach at Memphis, where she recently guided three student-athletes to the finals at the American Athletic Conference Championships. Prior to arriving at Memphis, Hicks served as the Neosho County Community College track & field head coach for five seasons and was a professional track & field athlete from 2008-15. Hicks (then Woods) was a four-time All-American at Charlotte from 2004-07, where she was the first 49er to earn two All-American honors in the same season. She won nine individual conference championships and five relay conference titles and was part of their inaugural Hall of Fame induction class in 2020.
Nathan Robinson | Men’s Tennis
Nathan Robinson joined UTRGV in June after spending the last four years as an assistant coach at UC Davis, where he guided the Aggies to the semifinals of the Big West Tournament twice and helped them start the 2019 season 6-0, which is the best start to a season in program history. Prior to his time at UC Davis, Robinson spent one season as an assistant women’s tennis coach at Western Michigan, and two as the Oklahoma State Director of Operations and Volunteer Assistant Women’s Tennis Coach. Robinson was a high school girls tennis coach in Stillwater Public Schools from January 2012 through June 2013, where he assessed and developed high school tennis players to play at the collegiate level. Robinson graduated from Oklahoma State with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 2014.
Orville Cox Tennis Center Renovations
In the fall of 2020, the Orville Cox Tennis Center courts were renovated, and new fence graphics were installed that highlight the department’s #RallyTheValley branding and commitment to the Vaqueros United initiative. The renovation was made possible by the philanthropic support of V Club members.
V Club Thank-a-Thon
UTRGV coaches connected with numerous passionate V Club donors to thank them for their continued investment in our 16 Division I programs.
1,289,776 Page Views
338,197 Unique Visitors (Department Record)
6,771
532,772 Website Traffic
17,309 MAIN ACCOUNT
34,690
TOTAL FOLLOWERS
590%
Increase in online ticket sales
9,450 MAIN ACCOUNT
27,735
TOTAL FOLLOWERS
7,628 MAIN ACCOUNT 21,496
TOTAL FOLLOWERS
GOUTRGV APP saw an increase of 78% from May 2020 to May 2021
COVID-19 Response
UTRGV Athletics had to adapt in considerable ways while following guidance and rules from campus, the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), the NCAA, the CDC, and local, state and federal governments. Our department was lucky in one sense, though, as Associate Athletic Director for Sports Medicine Steven Kraus and his team were able to work closely with the UTRGV School of Medicine and UT Health RGV to give student-athletes from all teams a chance to compete.
“The partnership works great,” Kraus said. “Having the ability to pick up a phone and call Dr. Linda Nelson, [the senior director of Clinical Operations for the UTRGV School of Medicine and UT Health RGV], and her staff in regard to testing, or Dr. John Thomas, [the director of COVID-19 operations at the UT Health RGV Clinical Lab], in regard to our results was crucial when it came to becoming operational and as efficient as possible. They were huge, and I could go down a long list of names at UT Health RGV and the School of Medicine that stepped up in tremendous ways to help us be able to play sports and to keep us safe and healthy.”
On the medical side, Dr. Jimmy Gonzales, the Director of Sports Medicine and UTRGV Athletics Head Team
Physician, was crucial to the department’s efforts, providing guidance and functioning alongside Kraus as part of the WAC Medical Advisory Committee.
The collaboration, which included numerous doctors, such as the UT Health RGV sports medicine team of Dr. Evan Perez, Dr. Bob Claflin and Dr. Peter Zhang, was critical. As testing ramped up and UT Health RGV became crucial to the Rio Grande Valley’s efforts to track and contain the virus, Kraus and his staff learned how to conduct PCR tests. This allowed athletics to conduct the necessary testing to move forward with practices and competitions without further burdening the UT Health RGV staff.
The joint efforts by UTRGV Athletics and UT Health RGV allowed the Vaqueros to compete on a high level this year, but they weren’t alone.
“It was a very difficult year, but it showed our resilience,” Kraus said. “We were hit with so much adversity, not too different from so many other people, but it brought us together and I’m proud of where we ended up.”
Corporate Partners
Boca Chica
