When Northside Elementary School Principal Scott Hundley learned that
legendary Scott County High School basketball Coach Billy Hicks died at
the age of 71 on Sunday, the former Mr. Basketball says, “I was floored.”
“It made me reflect on how much he meant to me. I was just one player in
his story and you multiply that by however many teams he coached for
over 40 years,” says Hundley.
“… His impact and legacy are so far-reaching that it is just
unbelievable.”
Hundley says he hadn’t talked to Hicks for a long time when he got a
phone call from his high school coach about a week ago to inform him
that he had been elected into the Kentucky High School Hall of Fame. “He
didn’t have to make that call, but he wanted to,” says Hundley.
“It was a moment,” he adds, “that was meant to happen.”
In 1998, the year that Hundley transferred to Scott County from Dunbar
High School, he remembers Hicks putting him through “one of the hardest
workouts I had ever been a part of.” He says Hicks instilled a work
ethic in his players during three-and-a-half-hour practices when other
teams had two-hour practices.
Hundley says, “You wanted to work hard for him, because … he made you
feel like you were the most special person in the world just because he
genuinely cared about you.” And Hicks did that with every player, coach
and fan.
“He was as charismatic as he was a good coach,” Hundley remembers. “…
Great leaders are great storytellers, and he had great stories.”
Recalling his mentor’s infectious personality, he says, “I don’t know
anybody that knew Coach Hicks that didn’t like him.”
When Hicks retired in 2019, he had more wins (1,013) than any other high
school basketball coach in Kentucky. No other boys’ basketball coach in
the state has yet to reach 1,000 wins.
Hicks led the Cardinals to seven state finals and his teams won two
state titles during his 25 seasons at Scott County. “There was a reason
why there was a glow and an excitement around Scott County basketball,
and it started with him,” says Hundley.
Hundley didn’t win a state title during his two years at Scott County,
but he did play in the state finals (losing to Ballard) as a junior and
in the state semi-finals in his senior year.
The 6-foot-5 Hundley says Hicks taught him how to play every position on
the court and instilled a work ethic that prepared him for the next level.
Not only did Hundley play basketball in the SEC, but he also got a great
education at Vanderbilt University. “Coach Hicks gave me that
opportunity to do that,” he says.
Hundley coached under Hicks at Scott County for several years. He was an
assistant on the 2007 State Championship team before becoming the head
coach at Woodford County High School.
The Yellow Jackets advanced to the Region Finals in 2012 during
Hundley’s tenure – losing to Scott County and Coach Hicks.
“I never beat him,” says Hundley. “… But you know what I like about
Coach Hicks is he never would’ve let me beat him either.”