Billy Wayne Hicks, 71, of Georgetown, Kentucky, passed away unexpectedly at his home, with his wife by his side, on December 3, 2023. Coach, mentor, storyteller, husband, father of two and father figure to countless others, a brother, an uncle, a friend, a gardener, a fisherman, an avid reader, a lover of History, a traveler, and most importantly, "Buddy" to his grandson and best friend, Wyler. A friend to all except the fish. Born August 23, 1952, a son of Ages Bottom, in Harlan County, Kentucky, who gravitated to the teaching and coaching profession to escape the danger and drudgery of the coal mines. Hicks, a natural athlete at 6'4, loved playing basketball, baseball, and he especially enjoyed playing on Doc's Raiders softball team with his older brother, Herschel. His athleticism landed him a scholarship to play basketball at Wofford College, where he graduated in 1974. He returned to Kentucky to marry the love of his life, Betsy, on December 18,1976.

Hicks began his career at Evarts High School, his alma mater, in 1978, where he only won ten games that year, but always recalled those being the hardest ten wins of his entire career. Sheer numbers fail to measure the coach's impact, yet they are phenomenal and unmatched in Kentucky. He spent 38 years coaching high school boys basketball in the state, including Evarts High School, Harlan Independent and Corbin Independent, and 25 years at Scott County High School, four of those years with his son, Tyler, on the court. Coach Billy Hicks retired in 2019 as the winningest coach in Kentucky high school basketball history with 1,023 wins. This achievement has never before been recorded in Kentucky basketball history. He won 13 regional titles and two state championships at Scott County in 1998 and 2007, and one regional title at Corbin. His teams have set a record for state tournament wins during his coaching tenure to date. Other honors include being chosen at the national level to coach the 2012 McDonald's All American Basketball team. Billy credits his good fortune to having great players, a mother who understood the need for a college education, and a wife and children who have supported him tirelessly along the way.

Aside from his passion for coaching, Billy loved spending time with his family and friends, but also found peace and renewal in the solitude of fishing, hiking, kayaking, gardening, and canning his harvest. Billy was known for his southern-style cooking, legendary chili, smoked brisket, and fried fish. No visitor left his house hungry. His kindness and generosity, his humble demeanor, and his persistence created not only an outstanding coach, but a remarkable man.

Billy was preceded in death by his parents, Orie and Maggie Hicks, brothers, Venice, Ken and Robert Hicks, sister Bernice Larsen, nephew David Arthur, and his beloved son, Tyler. Billy is survived by his wife, Betsy, daughter Ashley, son-in-law, Jed Johnson, grandson Wyler Nash Johnson, and special nephew, Jim Bob Hicks. Additional survivors include Joyce (Bob) Gooding of FL, Linda (Craig) Shoe of NC, Hershel (Melinda) Hicks of Gray, KY, Teresa (Jerry) Haynes of Harlan, KY, brother-in-law Rodney (Alice) Hendrickson of London, KY, and a host of nieces and nephews.

His legacy continues in the Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame, The Billy Hicks Classic, the Tyler Hicks Scholarship Fund, the echoes of basketballs on the floors of gyms across the Commonwealth, and most importantly, in the hearts of his family and friends. Billy will be missed by all, but we know he is on the riverbank fishing with Tyler. So, if you feel a tug at your heart, know that they've hooked another big one in Heaven.

A Celebration of Coach Hicks will be held at 1:00 PM on Sunday, Dec 10, 2023 at Scott County High School Gymnasium. Honorary pallbearers will be his cherished, former players.

Tucker-Yocum, & Wilson Funeral Home of Georgetown is in charge of arrangements.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Tyler Hicks Scholarship Fund at www.TylerHicks14Memorial.com or The Cardinal Sports Club, Inc. 104 Sable Drive, Georgetown, KY 40324.

Obituary courtesy of Evarts Funeral Home.