When players on the baseball team return to Durham this August, they will naturally have a few questions for their new coach.
But the first one out of their mouths may ask if Athletic Director Joe Alleva hired a baseball coach or a Marine. Hillier makes just one promise about the future of this program and it has nothing to do with wins. He simply guarantees that his players will work harder than they've ever worked before.
"I'm going to bring a new attitude," Hillier said. "Playing hard is an attitude. You have to practice that way. I'm a big guy, I'm overweight and people see me and think, 'Oh God, he's going to be a drill sergeant.' I'm not like that, though, I love my kids. They will work hard, but they'll respond to that.
"Kids that play for me, initially it's a shock to them. I want it to be a shock to them. I want them to know who the boss is. And there will be no question who is running the program, none whatsoever. They will do it my way, or they'll be out of here."
And while Hillier says he's not quite as tough as a drill sergeant, one would not know the difference to hear him speak.
"We'll be at it every day in practice, and they'll be pumped up to play," he said. "No matter who we're going up against, they're going to have the attitude that we're going to war and that we're going out there to win."
So far, no Blue Devils seem to have an objection to Hillier's new style. Although the coach has only been in town a few hours since his hiring last week, he has spoken to most of his new players and all seem receptive to his philosophy.
"I think they're all pretty pumped up to be honest with you," Hillier said. "I've told them all they better come back in August in the best shape of their lives, because we're going to work hard-harder than they've ever worked before."
But Hillier's not the type of guy to simply distribute the labor. As soon as he was hired, he hit the road recruiting. He didn' arrive in Durham until Monday night, then stayed awake most of the night in his new office and left town yesterday morning to start recruiting again.
"He is the hardest working guy," Alleva said of his newest coach. "He'll go out and get some good players. Our caliber of players is going to go up. And if we work hard and get better players, we're going to be better. It's not rocket science."
For Alleva, it wasn't rocket science hiring Hillier either. Hillier spent seven years as a Duke pitching coach before taking the head coaching job in Asheville. Hillier was Alleva's top choice after former coach Steve Traylor was fired.
During his time with the Blue Devils, Hillier made a name for himself as the program's top recruiter, and both Alleva and Hillier believe that this past experience will do wonders in trying to lure athletes to Duke.
And although Hillier enjoyed five successful seasons building up the program in Asheville, he is excited to be back with the Blue Devils.
"It's a pretty awesome feeling," Hillier said. "I was so pumped I couldn't sleep.... I'm anxious to get going."
The first step is hiring a staff. Hillier will keep current assistant Chris McMullan but must find a replacement for Dave Koblentz, who after five seasons with Duke and over 35 in baseball, announced his retirement earlier this week.
Another item on Hillier's "To Do List" is upgrade Duke's schedule. At Asheville, Hillier played what Alleva called an "unbelievably hard schedule." Last season, the Bulldogs opened 0-9 facing Florida State, Auburn and Georgia.
Both Hillier and Alleva believe that Duke should consistently be in the NCAA tournament. But short-term, the goal is simple: work like a Marine.
"I did a lot of homework before I came out here, and the one thing I heard from a lot of people is that [Duke] looked like they were dead; they didn't play hard," Hillier said. "I know they had injuries and stuff this year, but there's no excuse for not playing hard. I call that respect for the game. My guys will respect the game, walk between the lines everyday and play their a--es off. I promise you that."
It is a promise you can bet he intends to keep.
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