By Sylvester “Nunnie” Robinson
Our HBCU icon this week is Coach Billy Nicks, a Morris Brown College graduate who returned to his alma mater commencing a legendary career which lasted several decades from 1930-1965. Researching icons like Coach Nicks was eye opening for Coach Redmond and me since we were both nearing early college years or just graduating from high school when he ended his illustrious career. Coach Nicks came in at #103 among ESPN’s Greatest College Coaches, an amazing accomplishment, placing him among the elite in college football annals. Coach Nicks was born in Griffin, Ga. on August 2, 1905 and died ironically on November 2, 1999 at age 94, having lived a full life spanning 9 decades.
After graduating from Atlanta’s Morris Brown High School and College where he was an accomplished 4 sport athlete – football, baseball, basketball and track – he began his coaching career at his alma mater in 1930-35, then 1937-39 and finally 1941-42, compiling a won/loss record of 66-22-13. During the time when not coaching, he served as the principal of Morris Brown High School and pursued a master’s degree from Columbia University New York. Additionally, he served as the USO director at both Fort Stewart in Georgia and the Tuskegee Army Air Force Base in 1943-44. I point out again the significance placed on producing well-rounded student/athletes by each iconic coach that we’ve featured.
From there Coach Nicks went to Prairie View A&M College (Texas), a member of the Southwest Athletic Conference – SWAC – where enjoyed even greater success. His Prairie View teams won 123 games, lost only 36 with 8 ties from 1945-47 and 1952-1965. Coach Nicks won 7 SWAC championships, 5 National Black College titles (6 overall) and was named NAIA Coach of the Year in 1963 by the Pittsburgh Courier.
Coach Nicks had the most successful tenure in “The Hill’s history, using the same formula adapted by Jake Gaither and Eddie Robinson in Florida and Louisiana respectively, utilizing former players as recruiting agents and during segregation the best players in Texas went to Prairie View A&M. He had a better winning percentage – .787 – than Bear Bryant (.780) and Eddie “Black Jesus “ Robinson dreaded playing teams coached by Billy Nicks. He recruited 15 players who eventually were drafted from Prairie View by either AFL/NFL clubs, most notably NFL Hall of Famer Kenny Houston and AFL standout wide receiver and Super Bowl champion Otis Taylor. Other NFL players coached by Billy Nicks included Charles Brackins, Rufus Granderson and Dave Webster.
He also served as Prairie View’s softball and basketball coach and athletic director during his tenure. After his coaching career ended, he served as an assistant to the president and later became the city of Houston’s Director of Parks and Recreation.
His record overall was 193-60-21. He was 12-4-1 in bowls , 1-1 in NAIA appearances and was named Coach of the Year in 1964 by the NAIA. In 1941 he won the SIAC Championship and by virtue of that success, the Pittsburgh Courier Newspaper named the team National Black College champions. In 1999 he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Morris Brown honored him with a Billy Nicks Day in 1964 and the city of Atlanta did the same in 1999.
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