Hill enters his fifth season as head coach at Casper College. For the past two seasons, his teams have won 19 and 21 games, respectively, and have suffered heartbreaking losses in the Region IX championship game. Bridesmaids, but not brides. Could this be the year that the T-Birds get past that game and into the national tournament?

In his optimistic way, Hill thinks there is a good chance. He has also been around long enough to know that "every year is different."

"I think that is the toughest thing about what we do," he admits. "The team doesn’t keep the same make up. In juco it takes the first half of the year to figure things out, because every year your team is entirely different. You have to figure out what the chemistry is like and learn how new players respond."

Hill is a local legend, of sorts. He was a high school All American at Natrona County High School in Casper, and went on to play for George Raveling at Washington State University. Later, he played professional basketball in New Zealand and the United States. His involvement with the Casper College program dates back to 1991, when he served as a volunteer assistant coach for Gary Becker and the women’s team. Not coincidentally, that was the year Becker took his first team to the national tournament. Hill’s wife, Michelle, was the point guard on that team.

Hill coached again later with Becker, along with coaching in the Natrona County School District.

Hill says he is still learning more about the game and about the players of this generation. "I have learned that it is difficult to instill the kind of work ethic I believe is important," he said. "I was one of those players who did the extra things, and I can’t understand when a player doesn’t want to do them.

"But I realize I need to be more patient. Kids are changing but they want and need the same things, like structure and guidance."

Hill is an emotional coach who believes his athletes’ experience off the court is just as important as the time they spend in the gymnasium. "What we are trying to provide here is life lessons," he says. "We are teaching young ladies to deal with different cultures, different races and different backgrounds. When they leave here that is what they are going to find and we want them to be better prepared for the world."

That commitment is working. Hill has coached five academic All Americans and several all region and all tournament performers. Many of his players have gone on to four-year universities to further their studies.

Hill likes to coach an up-tempo style, so fans can expect the T-Birds to run and press. They will also play defense; in his first three years the T-Birds ranked among the top three teams in the region in defense.

Fans can also expect something else: the T-Birds will be there come March. Hill’s teams always have been.

Kari Martinez
Athletic Trainer
Kari joined the athletic staff this year as head athletic trainer at Casper College. Prior to that, she spent a year as trainer’s assistant to Dan Dalen and worked at Wind City Physical Therapy in Casper. A graduate of the University of Wyoming, she earned her degree in exercise physiology with an emphasis in athletic training. Kari also teaches physical education classes at Casper College. Kari is a native of Phillip, S.D., and is married to Griff, a former rodeo competitor for the T-Birds. She enjoys working with all the student athletes at CC, including the rodeo contestants. She is an avid sports fan, with a special love for rodeo and rugby.

Bill Landen
Athletic Director
Bill Landen took over as athletic director two years ago, but he is not new to those who have been around Casper College and its athletic programs.

Bill has spent the past 22 years at Casper College. Prior to accepting his current role, Bill served as Director of College Relations for 18 years.

Bill’s commitment to the T-Birds dates back to his student days at Casper College, where he wrote about Swede Erickson’s T-Birds as editor of the campus newspaper. He later covered Casper College as a professional journalist for the Casper Star-Tribune and KTWO Radio.

Since his arrival in the athletic department,  his focus has been on community and student involvement in the college’s four sports programs. Bill has worked with the T-Bird Booster Club to establish a permanent endowment for athletics, and that fund hit the quarter million dollar mark this year.

T-Bird fans may recognize Bill from his days as the radio play-by-play voice of the T-Birds in the 1980s and ‘90s. Along with serving as the voice of the T-Birds, Bill spent 18 years in marketing and information for the college. He has earned numerous awards during his professional career, including twice being named Wyoming’s Sportswriter of the Year by the national association of sportswriters and sportscasters. He was named Rosenthal Outstanding Administrator at Casper College in 1997. In 1993 he was honored by his peers as Communicator of the Year by the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations.

Along with his duties at Casper College, Bill was recently appointed to the Wyoming Legislature as State Senator for District 27.

Bill’s wife, Robyn, is the associate controller for Casper College. They have three children: Nick, Zack and Hailey.