‘Shut up and hit somebody!’ Pat Hill’s way with words shaped Fresno State legacy | Opinion
When college football fans from outside the San Joaquin Valley think of Pat Hill, they think of a Fu Manchu mustache and a three-word alliteration that became his mantra:
“Anybody, anytime, anywhere.”
Those words symbolized the Bulldogs’ willingness to play the most challenging nonconference schedule possible during Hill’s 15 seasons as head coach — usually on the road in some of the nation’s most hostile stadiums.
Hill, who will be inducted into Fresno State’s ring of honor during halftime of Saturday night’s homecoming game against UNLV, always had a certain skill with catch phrases.
There’s a second catch phrase, equally memorable but not as well known, that should resonate among Bulldog fans of a certain vintage:
“Shut up and hit somebody!”
While the origins of “Anybody, anytime, anywhere” are somewhat murky (and “anyone” replaces “anybody” in some versions), “Shut up and hit somebody!” can be traced to a specific date: March 12, 2001.
I know because I was there. Heard those exact words explode from Hill’s mouth. Back in those days, standing within earshot of the man was a big part of my job.
It was the first day of spring practice, and the level of trash-talking between the offense and defense was more than the fiery coach could bear.
Hill halted practice with his whistle, got right in the face mask of one of the worst offenders and yelled “Shut up and hit somebody!” at the top of his lungs.
The phrase struck me right away, so I scribbled it down in my notepad and employed it a few months later in a story. By then, Bulldogs players had already adopted the words as their rallying cry.
“All coach wants is production,” one of them told me. “He doesn’t want to hear it.”
After Fresno State began the 2001 season 6-0 and vaulted into the top 10 of both major polls, national media picked up on “Shut up and hit somebody!” and used the slogan in their stories and TV reports.
Hill-stamped brand endures
College football programs are built upon a lot more than catch phrases. Those two, though, perfectly encapsulated the Bulldogs’ tough, hard-nosed identity under Hill.
After Jim Sweeney put Fresno State football on the map, Hill took the reins from his mentor and gave the Bulldogs a brand that endures to this day. That brand, down to the Green V decal on the back of every helmet, is as much of how he’s remembered as the 112-80 career record and 11 bowl appearances.
In his current role as color analyst in the radio booth and all-purpose program cheerleader, Hill is as popular and well-liked as ever. Which is the natural cycle for old football coaches that haven’t lost a game in 12 years.
“It’s about the players, and it’s about the (assistant) coaches,” Hill said this week about the ring of honor induction. “People want to talk about legacy all the time. My legacy is I got to be part of Fresno State’s legacy. Fresno State is the legacy and being part of it was a great opportunity I’ll always cherish.”
These days Hill and I don’t often cross paths. The last time, a month or so ago, he complimented me for a column about his youngest son Zak, the Bulldogs’ first-year team doctor.
“You did a great job on that article,” Hill shouted at me down the hallway of the Valley Childrens Stadium press box. “Great job.”
After I thanked him, he responded with a twinkle in his eye and without missing a beat.
“Can’t say that for every article you’ve written. Some were pretty terrible.”
Both of us laughed. All these years later, Hill still has a way with words.
This story was originally published October 28, 2023 at 5:49 AM.
