Hilliard resigns as Minerva wrestling coach, named new Athletic Director at Marlington

Marlington Local Schools has announced the appointment of Chad Hilliard as the new Athletic Director and Career & Technical Education Director.

“We are excited to announce Chad Hilliard as our new Athletic Director and Career & Technical Education Director,” said Marlington Local Superintedent Dan Swisher. “We are confident that Chad will be a tremendous asset to our team, bringing a wide variety of valuable experiences to Marlington.”

Hilliard, who resides in Alliance with his wife Nicole and their three children, joins Marlington after a 15-year tenure with the Minerva Local School District. As a teacher and coach at Minerva, Hilliard led the wrestling team to consecutive Eastern Buckeye Conference titles in 2020 and 2021 and was named Coach of the Year in 2021. His teams also secured multiple Sectional Championships and a District Championship in 2022. Over his 13 years as head coach, Minerva produced 44 individual state qualifiers, including 14 state placers. Under his leadership, Minerva also introduced girls wrestling, yielding 4 State Champions and 6 additional state placers in its first five years.

“Marlington has been the model of consistency in both academics and athletics. The administrative leadership has embraced me and will guide me through the upcoming weeks to ensure this is a seamless transition,” Hilliard shared. “I feel like I have won the lottery. Having the opportunity to work with so many successful programs has me beyond excited. I cannot wait to help coaches and teachers continue to develop their programs and help make a positive impact on the entire community.”

Steve Miller, the outgoing Athletic Director and Career & Technical Education Director, will assist Hilliard in transitioning into the role. During his nine-year tenure, Miller oversaw significant improvements, including the installation of a turf football field, the construction of a softball training facility, new restrooms and concession stands at Marlington Stadium, multiple new scoreboards, and the expansion of the engineering career tech program. Miller was also instrumental in founding the district’s Champion Day and developing a partnership for athletic training services with Akron Children’s Hospital.

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