Kenny Brooks Has Hired Lindsey Hicks as an Associate Head Coach
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Lindsey Hicks, former Virginia Tech women’s basketball associate head coach, has been hired as the University of Kentucky women’s basketball associate head coach, it was announced by head coach Kenny Brooks on Wednesday.
“I’m very thankful to be joining Coach Brooks and to be a part of Big Blue Nation,” Hicks said. “The rich winning tradition of UK Athletics is something that I’m grateful to be a part of. I’m extremely excited for this new chapter and look forward to building this program into a championship brand.”
Welcome to Lexington, Coach Hicks!@L_Hicks04 📲https://t.co/RTMpzbCb3r pic.twitter.com/vlUHof7ROb
— Kentucky Women’s Basketball (@KentuckyWBB) April 10, 2024
Hicks arrives in Lexington after serving four seasons at Virginia Tech (2021-24), including three seasons as an assistant coach and one season as an associate head coach. The Hokies reached the NCAA Tournament in all four of Hicks’ seasons in Blacksburg, including the program’s first Final Four appearance in 2023. She also raised the program’s first ACC Championship trophies, including one for the tournament title in 2023 and one for the regular-season title in 2024.
During Hicks’ time in Blacksburg, she primarily trained the post players and helped develop Elizabeth Kitley (2020-24), an All-America and Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year center. Under Hicks’ guidance, Kitley became the program’s first 2,000-point scorer, while she also broke program records in numerous categories, including games started (151), minutes played (4,935), points scored (2,709), double-digit games (125), double-double games (76), 30-point games (12), field goals made (1,109), field-goal percentage (55.2), rebounds (1,506), rebounding average (10.0), blocks (331) and blocks averaged (2.2).
Kitley hauled in numerous awards and honors for her performances on the court, including being named an All-America by all the major outlets, a four-time ACC First Team selection, a three-time ACC Player of the Year honoree, a three-time ACC All-Defense Team pick, a two-time Kay Yow Scholar-Athlete of the Year choice, among others.
Hicks also was part of the Virginia Tech coaching staff that saw Aisha Sheppard (2018-22) become the program’s leader in points scored (1,883) and 3-pointers (402). Sheppard went on to become the program’s highest ever draft pick, when she was selected 23rd overall to the Las Vegas Aces in the 2022 WNBA Draft.
Just last year, in the 2023 WNBA Draft, the Hokies had two selections, including Kayana Traylor and Taylor Soule. It marked the first time in program history that two players were chosen in the WNBA Draft.
Before joining Brooks’ staff in Blacksburg, Hicks spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech. There, she helped take the Lady Techsters to back-to-back winning seasons and postseason appearances in 2016-17 and 2017-18.
After being picked to finish 12th in the 14-team Conference USA in the preseason coaches’ poll in 2016-17, she helped guide the Lady Techsters to 18 wins, a fourth-place finish in the regular season standings and the program’s first national postseason berth since 2011. The Lady Techsters later followed that up with a 19-12 record in 2018-19, a third-place finish in the C-USA regular season and a second straight berth in the WNIT. It marked the most wins and the highest league finish, at the time, since 2011-12.
Before her time at Louisiana Tech, Hicks worked at Northwestern State, helping the Lady Demons earn their third straight postseason appearance during her one year with the program.
Hicks also spent two seasons as the video coordinator at Alabama. While with the Crimson Tide, she was responsible for coordinating opponent scouting, film exchange and film breakdown. She also oversaw video and social media projects for the program.
Prior to joining the Crimson Tide, Hicks spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Morehead State. Hicks’ responsibilities at Morehead State included working with the team’s post players, overseeing academics, organizing team travel, scouting opponents, recruiting and developing game plans.
Hicks arrived at Morehead State after a six-season professional playing career that included stops in Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland.
In her one season with Denmark’s Vitus Bering in 2005-06, Hicks was named the Most Valuable Player in the Danish League. She was a team captain in each of her three seasons with Marbo Basket in Sweden.
During Hicks’ college career, Hicks was a member of Purdue’s national runner-up squad in 2001. There, Hicks helped lead the Boilermakers to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including that national championship game in 2001. While Hicks was a student-athlete, Purdue won three Big Ten Championships and reached the Elite Eight (2003) and Sweet 16 (2004).
Hicks served as a team captain her senior year, and her senior class set the Purdue program record for most wins.
A native of Lebanon, Ohio, Hicks was a Parade All-American and part of the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class at Purdue. She has a bachelor’s degree in visual communications design and graphic design from there.
Following her senior season at Lebanon High School, Hicks was the runner-up for Ohio’s Ms. Basketball award. Lebanon High School has retired her No. 45 jersey.
Hicks’ brother, Jordan Hicks, was a strength and conditioning graduate assistant at Kentucky football in 2009.
For more information on the Kentucky women’s basketball team, visit UKathletics.com or follow @KentuckyWBB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
