Candice Hill only had eyes for home.

Hill, a Baltimore native who graduated from Towson Catholic and Loyola Maryland, interviewed for “multiple” head coaching vacancies and even turned down an offer. But when UMBC inquired, Hill found her future destination.

“This opportunity was one that I couldn’t pass up,” she said. “I believe that UMBC is a sleeping giant, especially after I got here. I didn’t realize how nice the facilities were, and I didn’t know all of the resources that women’s basketball has, but I believe this is a place that has the resources for women’s basketball to be successful.

“If you look at our facility, you see the investment from our administration. And then talking to the president of the school [Valerie Sheares Ashby] and seeing her vision, I believe both of our visions align, and I believe that what I want to do with the women’s program is [something] that the university is going to be proud of and be all-in.”

Hill got her wish as the university announced her hiring Monday as the program’s 10th coach. Hill spent the past three years at St. John’s and most recently served as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator, but recalled attending camps run by former Retrievers coach Phil Stern and playing AAU championships at UMBC.

“UMBC has always been a part of my journey,” she said, adding that her father Joseph Brown was a janitor at the school. “It’s been a place where I’ve grown up knowing who UMBC is. So it’s super exciting to get back home. The biggest thing for me is to be able to impact young women, and to be able to do it in my hometown is a great feeling. I just want to make sure I represent the city of Baltimore and the state of Maryland well.”

Red Storm coach Joe Tartamella described the Retrievers’ decision to give the position to Hill as “a home run hire.”

“There is no brighter star or better fit for this job,” he said in a written statement distributed by the university. “I’m so proud of Candice and I know she will make her hometown proud as the leader of the Women’s Basketball program.”

The former Candice Walker starred at Towson Catholic, where she was a Baltimore Sun All-Metro selection as a senior in 2006-07. She then played at Loyola Maryland where, in 2007-08, she was the first freshman to start at point guard since 1991-92 and set a freshman record for assists with 93. She appeared in 117 career games (with 59 starts), which ranks 10th in school history.

After graduating in 2009 with a bachelor’s in communications and 2013 with a master’s in liberal studies, Hill began her coaching career at Wilmington (Delaware) University from 2013 to 2015, Massachusetts from 2015 to 2020 and Loyola for the 2020-21 season under former coach Joe Logan.

Logan applauded Hill’s hiring, saying in a statement: “Candice is a tireless worker who only knows how to win! She has helped build championship level programs everywhere she has been throughout her whole basketball career as a player and a coach. UMBC will be a championship program under Candice’s leadership. Her ability to build relationships, mentor and lead will enable her to be successful right away. Most importantly UMBC is getting a tremendous person of high character and integrity to lead their women’s basketball program.”

Hill succeeds Johnetta Hayes, who was dismissed March 11 after compiling a 39-81 overall record and a 26-44 mark in the America East Conference in five years. After the 2022-23 team went 10-6 in the America East for the program’s second-best record in the conference, the Retrievers labored this past winter to a 10-19 record and a 6-10 mark in the conference.

UMBC has captured one America East regular-season title in 2010-11 and one league tournament championship in 2006-07. But that lack of success didn’t discourage Hill.

“I’m going to work, and I’m going to lay down the foundation and culture this year,” she said. “Obviously, I won’t have all of the players that I recruit, but there are players in this program that want to win, and I believe we can make some noise this year if we work hard and put in the time. … I’m not coming into this saying, ‘Oh, my gosh, I’ve got to bring an X amount of players in my first season.’ I want to really lay down the foundation, build the culture, build relationships with the players in the program right now, and compete, and I believe we can do that.”

Hill pointed to her history at Massachusetts and St. John’s. When she joined the Minutewomen for the 2015-16 season, that team won 12 games. When she left after the 2019-20 season, that squad won 20 games.

In Hill’s debut with the Red Storm in 2021-22, that team finished with 12 victories. This past winter, the program won 18 games, upset Marquette when it was ranked No. 19, and defeated Florida on the Gators’ homecourt in the first round of the WBIT.

“I’ve been a part of rebuilding programs, and I believe the work I’ve put in as an assistant will be the work I put in as a head coach, and I’m going to hire people that are invested in rebuilding,” she said. “Our goal and our vision is to be competing for a championship, and I believe we can do that.”

Hill said she met with the players in-person and on Zoom. She noted that two players are in the transfer portal, but the majority have opted to return, including five who will be seniors next winter.

“I feel like these girls are dying for somebody with some energy and fire,” she said. “I believe they are invested and they want to win, especially since we have five seniors. So this year is important to them. They want to go out on top. I’ve already got players texting me, ‘Hey, Coach, what can I do right now to make sure I’m ready when you come in?’ We have players that are invested and want to do the work.”