Editor’s note: This is the second part of a two-part story about Andy Hill’s athletic and coaching journey. Click here to read part one.
Andy Hill’s impact on the University of Missouri football program was undeniable. His value was so apparent that after Larry Smith first hired him, both Gary Pinkel and Barry Odom kept him on staff when each of them subsequently became Missouri’s head coach. For twenty-four years, Hill left a lasting impression on countless student-athletes and the university he cherished.
Anyone who’s spent a lot of time with Andy Hill is likely to have an entertaining story or two. Jon Sundvold, an all-American basketball player at Mizzou who later played nine seasons in the NBA, became fast friends with Hill when their athletic paths crossed. During the offseason, the pair would travel the state conducting youth basketball clinics, with Sundvold being the headliner and Hill handling the logistics. It was during this stretch that Sundvold became convinced his friend should pursue coaching.
“He was coaching basketball with me. He was just too good at it,” recalled Sundvold. “His ability to relate to kids was so natural. They just took to him and his personality. He made those one-day camps fun for everyone.”
Having a friend playing in the NBA provided perks for Hill. Sundvold, a scratch golfer, was frequently invited to play in celebrity golf events. When he accepted, Hill would be his caddie.
“I remember one tournament in Lake Tahoe where I was paired with Joe Namath, the Hall of Fame quarterback with the New York Jets,” Sundvold said. “I’m from Blue Springs, [Andy’s] from Trenton, MO — Joe ‘Willie’ Namath is a big deal to us. Anyway, we tee off on the sixth hole, and I hit my drive to the right side of the fairway, and Namath hits his drive to the left. As I’m walking down the fairway, I start talking to myself about what club I should hit next.”
But as Sundvold spoke, he realized Hill wasn’t paying attention. His caddie had crossed the fairway and had engaged in a conversation with Namath.
“I look over and see Andy just talking it up with Joe Namath,” laughed Sundvold. “He finally comes running over to me and said, ‘You’re not going to believe it, but Joe just shared a story about a fourth-quarter drive when the Jets played the Chiefs in the late 1960s. He described every play.”
Hill was thrilled and urged Sundvold to hurry up and hit his second shot so he could get back to Namath and hear the end of the story. Hill’s ability to connect with anyone, even an NFL legend like Namath, was a rare gift.
Football and Family
Anyone who coaches at a high level will tell you that it feels like having two marriages: one to your spouse and one to the game itself.
“The biggest challenge was, there is never an offseason in football,” explained Sarah Hill, Andy’s wife. “We had very little time to do things as a family. We were raising two children (Tricia and Andrew), and we were apart most of the time.”
When he wasn’t coaching, Hill was on the road recruiting.
“That was by far was the most difficult part,” he said. “I couldn’t be two places at once.”
Sarah fondly recalled how Hill did his best to make time for his family. “He included us in his work when he could, we would travel to games to be with him, and when he was at home, he would always volunteer at the kids’ schools. When Andrew was playing baseball, Andy would be there when he could. Maybe it was just a few innings, but he made the effort to be there.”
Hill also had obligations to his football family. Besides coaching responsibilities, he became a mentor to many Missouri players.
“He can relate to the players since he played himself,” said Jeremy Maclin, an all-American receiver during his time with the Tigers. “He was genuine. When you are 17-18 years old, you are looking for people who are authentic. That was Coach Hill.”
Maclin’s sentiments were echoed by Mitch Morse, a Pro Bowl player who spent ten seasons in the NFL. “He always took time to get to know the players, but also their families and everyone involved around you. Nobody has a negative thing to say about Andy Hill,” Morse said.
Another former Missouri player and Hill fan, now playing in the NFL, is linebacker Nick Bolton of the Kansas City Chiefs. “He helped me get where I am today. He found ways to make football innovative, fun, and exciting. He gave players opportunities to shine and prove themselves,” recalled the two-time Super Bowl champion.
As long as Hill was on staff at the University of Missouri, he and his Columbia-based family were able to balance football life and family life pretty well. But that all changed in late 2019. After Barry Odom was let go as head coach, Eli Drinkwitz took over, and Hill found himself without a spot on the new coaching staff.
Free Agency and Friendship
That December, Hill was in an unfamiliar situation. For the first time in 24 years, he would not be a member of the Missouri football coaching staff.
“I was a free agent,” Hill said with a chuckle.
As a free agent in the football world, his future was uncertain. But what remained unchanged was his lifelong friendships, particularly with Chiefs special teams coach Dave Toub. Hill’s coaching journey was far from over, and the bonds he had built over the years were more valuable than ever.
In early 2020, the Kansas City Chiefs had an opening for an assistant special teams coach. Hill reached out to Toub.
“I love the guy,” exclaimed Toub. “But I actually tried to talk him out of applying for the position. The pay wasn’t what he was used to at Missouri, and the working hours in the NFL were much longer. Plus, he had a family back in Columbia. His kids were going to finish high school there. The job was in Kansas City, so I wanted to make sure he knew what he was getting into.”
Despite Toub’s initial hesitation, he ran his old friend through the interview process just like all the other candidates. In the end, Hill was Toub’s top choice.
“I told Andy he was the guy, but he had one more interview to go, and that was with [Head] Coach Andy Reid.
“I usually don’t get nervous,” Hill recalled. “But waiting to get that phone call from Coach Reid was hectic. When he did call, I can remember him asking, ‘Are you sure you want this job?’”
Hill’s genuine enthusiasm came through, though. “I’ve been a lifelong Chiefs fan, and the chance to coach at the professional level and learn from the best special teams coach in the NFL is too exciting to pass up.”
Hill got the job, and the news resonated with those closest to him.
Sundvold remembers, “When he called and told me the Chiefs hired him, I just teared up. I couldn’t have been happier for one person than I was that day.”
“We’ve been beyond blessed,” Sarah said. “He might be the only coach who has been able to work for his two favorite teams: the Missouri Tigers and the Kansas City Chiefs.”
“Yep, Coach Toub and Coach Reid pulled me off the scrap heap and made a dream come true,” reflected Hill.
Immediate Impact: The Trenton Touch
Armed with twenty-four years of coaching knowledge, Hill arrived at the Chiefs headquarters ready to contribute. While there was a learning curve as he adjusted to the NFL coaching style, his experience and personality paid immediate dividends.
“I actually learned from him,” declared Toub. “I am a rough guy, no smooth edges. That doesn’t always work when you’re explaining new assignments to players. I let Andy run some of the meetings, and I watched how he used his personality to connect with the players. Andy Hill made me a better coach.”
Coach Reid added, “He was very well liked. He had a great attitude and commitment to coaching.”
The Chiefs’ players gravitated to the new assistant coach, and together they made NFL history.
“He always had a smile on his face and was very upbeat,” said long snapper James Winchester. “Those are some of the qualities that make him a lovable guy. A guy you want to please and impress with your play.”
“He brought a lot of knowledge and experience,” added placekicker Harrison Butker. “We had five amazing years together.”
Those years were certainly remarkable. During Hill’s NFL tenure with the Chiefs, Kansas City went to four Super Bowls and won two of them.
“He was an integral part of our success,” Winchester said. “He’s meant a lot to the Kansas City Chiefs.”
There are many photos capturing Hill’s joy after those two Super Bowl titles, but three stand out as symbols of his football journey. The first shows him celebrating with his entire family.
“That was always a priority for him,” Toub said. “After practice on Fridays, he would drive to Columbia so he could have dinner with his family, see his grandchild, or watch one of his son’s games. He was back in Kansas City the next morning for team meetings. Whenever he could find time to be with his family, he made it happen.”
The next picture appropriately shows Hill and Toub holding the Lombardi Trophy: two men with a link to Mizzou football celebrating a friendship and the pinnacle of their coaching careers.
But it’s the third photo that pulls it all together. It’s a shot of Hill standing behind a table with a folded Chiefs jersey and the Lombardi Trophy placed in front of him. Behind him stands the White House. It’s a fitting backdrop for a man who started from Trenton, Missouri, and made it all the way to the top of the football world.
