The Kings Mountain Herald
CR rR as
Apel 28, 2005
Retired Mountaineer football coach Denny Hicks
going into Kings Mountain Sports Hall of Fame
(Third in a four-part
series of this year’s Kings
Mountain Sports Hall of
Fame inductees. The dinner
and ceremony are May 14 at
6 p.m. at Kings Mountain
High School. Tickets are
$10 and are available from
any member of the Hall of
Fame Committee).
By GARY STEWART
Editor of The Herald
There's an old saying that |
behind every good man
there’s a good woman. In
Denny Hicks’ case, make
that two.
If it hadn't been for an
early-life lesson from his
mother about seeing things
through, Hicks may not
have become a football
coach.
And much of his success
as a high school coach can
be attributed to the support
of his wife, Catherine, who
was at every game cheering
on his teams and making
sure players from both
schools were fed after the
game.
Hicks had the longest
tenure (12 years) and won
the most games (65) of any
football coach in KMHS his-
tory. His 1985 team was the
first since 1964 to participate
in the state playoffs, and his
1986 team was the first since
‘64 to win a conference
championship.
Three of Hicks’ teams
competed in the state play-
offs, and two of them
knocked off top-ranked
teams along the way.
In addition, Hicks coached
the KMHS golf team to five
consecutive undefeated sea-
sons and the 1990 state
championship. He was also
a head track and wrestling
coach at other schools before
coming to Kings Mountain.
Hicks credits his success to
the Lord looking out for him
and his family, fellow coach-
es, good athletes and admin-
istrators that supported him
and gave him the time and
opportunity to be successful.
But that early advice - or
order might be a better word
- from his mother was what
started it all.
As a ninth grade student
in Burlington, Hicks went
out for football without
telling his parents, and after
three days wanted to quit.
When he told his mother, he
said she told him “you start-
ed and you're going to fin-
ish.”
After a few more days of
practice, Hicks said he
began to experience some
success on the field and
grew to love the game.
Before his sophomore year
the family moved to
Wadesboro, and Hicks says
he knew that year that
coaching was something he
wanted to do.
“The Lord knew that I had
to get focused pretty early,”
he said. “From that point on
I'tried to do what I had to do
to get in college. The Lord
blessed me with a wife that
gave me even more focus
while I was in college. I
needed it.”
Prior to landing his first
head football coaching job at
Swannanoa Owen, Hicks
spent several years as an
assistant under North
Carolina coaching legends.
His first job after graduat-
ing Gardner-Webb College
was as an assistant under Ed
Emory at Wadesboro. Emory
later coached on the colle-
Denny Hicks served the longest tenure (12 years) and won
more games (65) than any other football coach in KMHS
history.
giate level for several years,
including a stint as running
backs coach at Clemson
when the Tigers won the
NCAA championship under
Danny Ford. Emory is now
head coach at Richmond
County High School.
Hicks later moved to West
Henderson, where he was
defensive coordinator under
Don Slaughter.
“I guess that’s where my
philosophy developed,”
Hicks said. “The kids were
hard nosed and would do
anything in the world for
you. I realized we could
practice offense for four
hours a day and weren't
going to outscore everybody.
If we could play good
defense and have a good
kicking game and keep
games close we'd have a
chance to win.”
Later, Hicks got a call from
Jim Levine offering him the
defensive coordinator’s
position at Owen. However,
he was also offered the
defensive coordinator’s job
at Asheville under another
NC coaching legend, Lou
Fogle. He accepted that job
and stayed there when Fogle
left and Bruce Peterson came
in as head coach.
After Hicks was at
Asheville for three years,
Levine resigned as head
coach at Owen and recom-
mended Hicks as head
coach. Hicks took the job
and over the next five years
led Owen to a 35-15-5 over-
all record.
Owen had gone 1-9 the
year before Hicks arrived,
and had only two starters
returning. One quit the team
during summer practice.
Hicks recalled walking by
the gym one day and seeing
a tall young man shooting a
basketball. He marveled at
the youngster’s quickness,
especially his foot quickness.
“I could tell he would be
an outstanding quarter-
back,” Hicks said. “He had-
n't seen me watching but I
went up and asked if he
played football. He said,
‘no.’ I told him if he’d play
football he could be the
quarterback.”
The young man, Kerner
Long, accepted Hicks’ invi-
tation and led the team to a
9-1 record and earned a
scholarship to Appalachian
State.
After five years with the
Warhorses, Hicks received a
call from KMHS football
coach and AD Dan Brooks,
who was looking for a
defensive coordinator. Lou
Fogle had suggested to
Brooks that he contact
Hicks. Hicks accepted the
job and over the next two
‘seasons turned the
Mountaineer defense into
one of the toughest in the
area. :
“I'm still mad at Dan for
leaving,” Hicks joked. “I
enjoyed those two years
under him. He was another
great influence in my coach-
ing philosophy. His work
ethic and ability to deal with
kids was phenomenal.”
After Brooks resigned to
go into college coaching,
KMHS promoted Hicks to
the head job.
His first team, 1983, fin-
ished 6-4 after going 3-7 the
year before.
“We started with a totally
new staff, and I really liked
the coaches that came in
with us and the players
responded well to what we
were doing,” Hicks said.
“They worked hard and did
everything we asked them
to do. We had a little bit of
philosophy change and they.
responded to it. We kepta
lot of games close and lost a
couple of close ones.’
Hicks and the :
Mountaineers were dealt a :
severe blow just prior to the:
start of the 1985 season
when their outstanding run-
ning back and linebacker
Tracy Johnson transferred to
Kannapolis. The
Mountaineer coaching staff -
had built their offense
around Johnson, who had
gained over 2,000 yards the -
previous two seasons, and
they slipped to a 1-9 record.
The Mountaineers played -
a lot of young players, and it
would pay off the next two -
See Hicks, 2B x
JL did
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