In 2015, Hilinski committed to play for the Washington State Cougars, where he quickly made an impact on the team. As a backup quarterback during his freshman and sophomore years, he displayed great potential and an impressive work ethic. He was on pace to become the team's starter going into his junior year.
Unfortunately, in January 2018, Hilinski tragically took his own life at the age of 21. His untimely passing shocked the WSU community and left a void in the hearts of his loved ones. The devastating loss sparked important conversations about mental health, the pressures faced by student-athletes, and the need for increased support and resources in the sporting world.was started by Kym and Mark Hilinski, Tyler's parents, shortly after his death in 2018.
“We started Hilinski’s Hope just a few months after Tyler passed, and you can imagine we're sad today," Mark Hilinski said."We were sad then, and we'll be sad tomorrow. We didn't know exactly what we wanted to do. We just knew that we couldn't sit still."