After graduating from Forestville High School, Hillsman attended Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina, before transferring to St. Mary's College of Maryland for his sophomore season.

They received an at-large bid for the NCAA women's tournament, where they advanced to the program's first-ever championship game to play Connecticut, losing 82–51.

A Syracuse University athletic department spokesman stated that "[t]here was a misunderstanding with a previous accountant... Coach Hillsman is taking the steps to rectify the problem."

[10] In 2011, former Syracuse player Lynnae Lampkins accused Hillsman of inappropriate behavior, and her father filed a Title IX sexual harassment complaint against the university.

[13][14] On August 2, 2021, SU athletics director John Wildhack announced in a press release that Hillsman had resigned from his position.

[17][18] University's external investigation into the program found that SU Athletics mishandled concerning behavior and complaints, and a number of players and managers described an unhealthy [19][20] Hillsman resides in Jamesville, New York, with his wife, Shandrist (née Cargill), and their two sons Source:[21] # denotes interim head coach