Coach Hillman enters his 22nd season at Pleasant Valley and his 17th as the head coach.
He has led PV to a 275-103 record the past sixteen seasons. The 2015 team finished 2nd in the state in Iowa class 4A with a 23-3 record, and the 2016 team finished 3rd in state with a 24-2 record. The 2023 team made it to the state semi-finals, and the 2021 team made the state tournament. The 2022 team finished 22-1 with the best record in school history.
The 2016, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 teams were Champions of the Mississippi Athletic Conference with records of 15-1,16-2,14-3,18-0,16-2,15-3 respectively. Coach Hillman has won the MAC coach of the year six times, multiple IBCA District/Substate coach of the year awards as well as Metro coach of the year during his tenure at PV.
Pleasant Valley Basketball prides itself on disciplined basketball that includes a hard nosed man-man defensive system and unselfish team play on offense. The 2010, 2016, 2018, 2021, and 2022 teams led the state in average defensive points allowed per game.
Hillman came to Pleasant Valley after a collegiate basketball playing career and a couple of coaching stints. Hillman played college basketball at Luther College in Decorah, IA including his senior season in 1993 when he was named MVP and Team Captain. After graduation he was hired as an assistant coach on the Luther basketball staff. He then had an 8 year stint on the basketball coaching staff at Geneseo High School in Illinois.
He completed his Master's Degree from Western Illinois University.
He and his wife Jennifer have three children, Andrew, Mallory, and Julia.