UMES coach Cleo Hill and the Hawks celebrate a win at Norfolk State.

People thought Cleo Hill Jr. was crazy for leaving Winston-Salem State for Maryland Eastern Shore.

After all, Hill was the king of Ram Nation for six seasons, delivering two CIAA Tournament titles and a couple of postseason appearances. He is one of three CIAA coaches to win a championship with two different teams: WSSU and Shaw.

Lonnie Blow with St. Augustine’s and Virginia State, and Lou D'Alessio with Bowie State and Fayetteville are the others.

Maryland Eastern Shore men’s program was a dud when Hill took over the reins last season. Fans and alumni spent more time debating about reinstating the football program than they did talking about basketball.

The university even embarrassed itself by trying to change its brand from UMES to MDES. (Think new Coke.)

The Hawks had one winning season in eight years when Hill was recruited. Coached by Jason Crafton, that 2022-23 squad went 18-13 overall, 9-5 MEAC. But it was short-lived. The old Hawks returned the following season with a 9-20 finish. Crafton left to become chief program strategist at Columbia.

An old cliché is coaches always need a challenge, the next big thing they can put their stamp on.

Hill, obviously, was at that stage. Why else would he leave a storied program where his father, Cleo Hill Sr., was a mega superstar from 1957-61, and played under one of the greatest coaching legends in any division, Clarence “Big House” Gaines. Hill Jr. could have retired at WSSU if he wanted.

But a shot at rebuilding a Division I program in a good basketball conference was just too tempting.

Hill and UMES took their lumps last season winning just six games, two in the conference. Their 8-13 record this year is from a brutal nonconference schedule. The MEAC portion couldn’t come soon enough, as the Hawks were riding a seven-game losing streak to end nonconference play.

But those losses are long forgotten. What has folks talking is the 4-0 MEAC mark, their best conference start since the 1973-74. Season.

“The whole campus is excited. …It’s difficult not to take a look at it (record),” Hill said on Wednesday’s MEAC teleconference. “I just want to make good on my promise.”

Hill did what most coaches do today to turn around a program – hit the transfer portal. UMES’s big three that have grabbed media attention are Zion Obanla (Claflin), Dorion Staples (Miles, Southern Illinois) and Joseph Locandro (Concordia, St. Leo).

Obanla played at Claflin when Hill was at WSSU. Who knew they would wind up on the same team? When Obanla decided to enter the transfer portal, Hill was waiting.

Although the trio leads the team in scoring, their stats show a more equal squad than any one dominating player. Hill has a “problem” many coaches wish they had.

“Our strength is our depth,” he said. “I am comfortable playing our 11 through 14 guys in any situation. It’s challenging trying to find minutes for guys on the bench. But I rather have that problem than not.”

UMES has wins over Morgan State, Howard, Norfolk State and Coppin State.  The road win at the Spartans, the two-time defending champs, really raised eyebrows.

The team was scheduled to visit Durham Jan. 26 in a doubleheader – UMES women also are undefeated at 4-0 – but the games were postponed due to the threat of weather.

There’s still plenty of basketball left to play, but for now, Hill is not looking so crazy after all.

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