MENDOTA – The Mendota Trojans will have a new face roaming the sidelines as the varsity head football coach when the season begins next fall.

Keegan Hill was approved to the position by the Mendota High School District 280 Board at its Dec. 18 meeting.

Hill, 32, comes to Mendota from Belvidere High School where he has been the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator since 2013. Prior to that he was the varsity defensive coordinator at Rockford East for two years and the head freshman coach at Rockford Jefferson for one year. He has also served as head boys’ track coach at Rockford East and head freshman basketball coach at Rockford Jefferson.

Hill got his coaching start as an assistant defensive coach at Northern Illinois University from 2005-08. He worked on the NIU staff with P.J. Fleck, who is now the head coach at the University of Minnesota.

For the 2003 graduate of Winnebago High School, being a head coach at the high school level is what he’s been striving for since he began his football coaching career.

“My goal is to be a head football coach and this is an opportunity for me to move on to the next chapter in my football career and a chance to build a program,” said Hill.

Hill said he doesn’t lean toward being a running coach or a passing coach, but to get the most out of the athletes he has to work with and to pattern his game plan accordingly.

“We are going to maximize what the kids do well, and we are going to be fast, physical and fun to watch,” he said.

Hill said upon his first visit to Mendota High School, he was extremely impressed with the football facility.

“It’s an excellent facility and a first-class operation,” Hill said. “It’s a place that can really draw people to it and good environment to play football.”