The late Billy Hicks, one of the nation’s most outstanding basketball coaches, will be inducted into the Kentucky High School Sports Association Hall of Fame next month. Photo credit: Scripps Media

Our nation’s young athletes are indeed fortunate to be mentored by many outstanding coaches. One of these was the late Billy Hicks, a famed boy’s basketball coach who will be inducted into his state’s Kentucky High School Sports Association Hall of Fame next month.

In a career that spanned a total of 38 years, Billy’s teams logged a record of 1,021 wins and 268 losses, the most wins of any boys’ basketball coach in the history of Kentucky high school basketball. He taught and coached at Evarts High School, Harlan Independent, and Corbin Independent, all located in Eastern Kentucky. At Corbin, Billy won one regional title. He spent the last 25 years in Georgetown, Kentucky, where he coached at Scott County High School. He led his Scott County High Cardinals to the Sweet 16 in his first year there. In all, he won six 8th Region titles and seven 11th Region championships in 25 seasons at Scott County. The Cardinals reached seven Boys’ Sweet 16 finals, where they won it all in 1998 and 2007.

Billy was born on August 23, 1952, in Harlan County, Kentucky. He was one of 11 children born into a coal mining family. As a young man, Billy decided to become teacher and athletic coach in order to avoid a life of working in the coal mines. Even as a youngster he was a natural athlete, excelling in basketball, baseball, and softball. His athletic talent landed him a scholarship to play basketball at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where he graduated in 1974. Billy retired in 2019.

Sadly, this Chalkboard Champion passed away on December 3, 2023, of natural causes. at the age of 71. But his legacy continues in the Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame, The Billy Hicks Classic, and the Tyler Hicks Scholarship Fund.