Sundance "Sunny" Wicks (born August 9, 1980)[1] is an American collegiate basketball coach, currently men's head coach at the University of Wyoming. He has also been the head coach for Green Bay, an assistant at Wyoming, and two years as the head coach for the Missouri Western Men's Basketball Team. Wicks spent eleven years as an assistant at four different colleges, including Northern State, Colorado, Northern Illinois, and San Francisco.[2] Between early coaching stints, Wicks launched the Arizona Power Basketball Academy and worked as a skill-instructor and director from 2011 to 2015. He has trained notable NBA pre-draft prospects at the Impact Basketball Academy in Las Vegas, and worked with athletes such as Kawhi Leonard, Marvin Bagley, Isaiah Thomas, Xavier Silas, and Alec Burks.
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | Wyoming |
| Conference | Mountain West |
| Record | 2–0 (1.000) |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | August 9, 1980[1] Gillette, Wyoming, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1999–2003 | Northern State |
| 2003–2004 | Södertälje Kings |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 2004–2006 | Northern State (GA) |
| 2006–2007 | Colorado (assistant) |
| 2007–2011 | Northern Illinois (assistant) |
| 2015–2016 | San Francisco (assistant) |
| 2016–2018 | Northern State (assistant) |
| 2018–2020 | Missouri Western |
| 2020–2023 | Wyoming (assistant) |
| 2023–2024 | Green Bay |
| 2024–present | Wyoming |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 50–46 (.521) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
| |
Early life
editWicks is the oldest of three children born to Mark and Barbara (Barb) Wicks in Gillette, Wyoming, and comes from a strong athletic lineage on both sides of his family. Mark played football at Washington State from 1961–64 and one season with the New Orleans Saints. Mark Wicks is a member of the Cougars' Hall of Fame. Barb played volleyball at Black Hills State in Spearfish, South Dakota.
Playing career
editNorthern State
editBasketball
editFrom 1999 to 2003, Wicks played basketball for Northern State in Aberdeen, South Dakota. He scored a total of 1,174 points and pulled in 665 rebounds, which is 10th all time at Northern State. He was named All-NSIC twice, all-Conference academic selection twice, and won the Clark Swisher Male Athlete of the Year once in the 2002–03 season. Wicks helped Northern State win two NSIC conference titles.[1] Wicks has two degrees from Northern State University. In 2003 he got a bachelor’s degree in international business and in 2006 he earned a master’s degree in health, physical education, and coaching.[3]
Track and field
editWicks was twice an All-NSIC performer in the 400-meter hurdles.
Södertälje Kings
editDuring the 2003–04 season, Wicks played for the Södertälje Kings in Sweden. He led he team in scoring and rebounding.[4]
Coaching career
edit2004–06 Northern State (Assistant)
editIn 2004, Wicks became a graduate assistant under legendary coach Don Meyer for two years through 2006.
2006–07 Colorado (Assistant)
editWicks coached under Ricardo Patton at Colorado as an assistant. He was in charge of film exchange and editing, individual workouts, in-state recruiting, as well as Ricardo Patton Basketball Camps.
2007–11 Northern Illinois (Assistant)
editIn 2007, Wicks became an assistant coach for Northern Illinois for three years, and one year as the associate head coach, again under Ricardo Patton.
2011–15 Arizona Power Basketball Academy
editFrom 2011–15, Wicks launched the Arizona Power Basketball Academy. He built APBA from the ground up and served as a skill instructor and program director based out of Gilbert, Arizona.[3] Wicks did not take a salary when he began APBA. Determined to succeed, he lived out of his car, showered at the gym, and slept on a beanbag.[5]
2015–16 San Francisco (Assistant)
editWicks served as an assistant for San Francisco for one season under head coach Rex Walters. Also on the staff was his brother, Luke Wicks.[6]
2016–18 Northern State (Assistant)
editWicks spent two seasons as an assistant coach for his alma mater Northern State for two seasons under head coach Paul Sather. During the 2017–18 season, Northern State compiled a record of 36–4 and were national runner-ups in the 2018 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament.[7]
2018–2020 Missouri Western (Head coach)
editOn March 28, 2018, Wicks was named the fifth men's basketball head coach at Missouri Western.[8] In his first season leading the Griffons, Wicks recorded a 12–18 (6–13 Conference) record. That was the best record for Missouri Western since the 2015–16 season. He has had one player make the All-Conference Second Team, Lavon Hightower, and had two players receive honorable mentions, Tyrell Carroll and Bryan Hudson.
In his second season, Wicks led the team to an 18–14 record, the best Missouri Western has had since their 2009–10 season. This included a win against a ranked opponent: Missouri Southern. They also had a home record of 12–1, losing only to number one ranked Northwest Missouri State by a score of 69–92. Tyrell Carroll received first-team ALL-MIAA and Will Eames became Missouri Western's first-ever Freshman of the Year.
2020–2023 Wyoming (Assistant)
editOn March 27, 2020, Wicks resigned from Missouri Western to join Jeff Linder at Wyoming as assistant coach.[9]
2023–2024 Green Bay (Head coach)
editOn March 15, 2023, Wicks was named the ninth men's basketball head coach at Green Bay.[10] In his first season as head coach, Wicks won the 2023–24 Horizon League Coach of the Year and the Joe B. Hall National Coach of the Year.[11]
2024–present Wyoming (Head coach)
editOn May 12, 2024, Wicks was named the 23rd men's basketball head coach at Wyoming, where he had previously served as an assistant coach for three seasons.[12]
Personal life
editWicks' sister Kelsey played basketball for the University of Notre Dame before entering The Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia convent in Nashville. Wicks often jokes that when they played against one another in basketball, it was "nun-on-one," and has stated that Kelsey was the best athlete in the family.[13] She is currently the Executive Director of the ACI Group.[14] His brother Luke was a point guard at Northern State, and a former college basketball coach at Sheridan College, San Francisco, and Pacific.[15] The Wicks brothers were on the same staff at San Francisco.[16][6]
Wicks is described as a 'free spirit with a sense of style all his own'[17] and is known for his houndstooth blazer collection. He is a devout Roman Catholic[18] and coaches with a Saint Benedict Medal in his pocket, the patron saint of protection as well as the patron saint of students.[19]
Wicks' wife Courteney is a former college volleyball player.[20] Together, they have a daughter, Grace, and son, Skywalker.
Head coaching record
edit| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri Western Griffons (Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association) (2018–2020) | |||||||||
| 2018–19 | Missouri Western | 12–18 | 6–13 | 12th | |||||
| 2019–20 | Missouri Western | 18–14 | 13–6 | 4th | |||||
| Missouri Western: | 30–32 (.484) | 19–19 (.500) | |||||||
| Green Bay Phoenix (Horizon League) (2023–2024) | |||||||||
| 2023–24 | Green Bay | 18–14 | 13–7 | T–3rd | |||||
| Green Bay: | 18–14 (.563) | 13–7 (.650) | |||||||
| Wyoming Cowboys (Mountain West Conference) (2024–present) | |||||||||
| 2024–25 | Wyoming | 2–0 | 0–0 | ||||||
| Wyoming: | 2–0 (1.000) | 0–0 (–) | |||||||
| Total: | 50–46 (.521) | ||||||||
References
edit- ^ a b c "Sundance Wicks". Retrieved 31 January 2020.
- ^ "Sundance Wicks". Retrieved 30 January 2020.
- ^ a b https://nsuwolves.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/sundance-wicks/780
- ^ "Södertälje Kings 2003–04 roster". Retrieved 31 January 2020.
- ^ https://247sports.com/article/green-bay-phoenix-basketball-college-basketball-sundance-wicks-coach-green-bay-packers-horizon-league-227424512/
- ^ a b https://usfdons.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/sundance-wicks/311
- ^ Zimmer, Matt (24 March 2018). "Northern State's dream season ends in heartbreak in Division II National Championship game". Argus Leader. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
- ^ "Sundance Wicks Named Head Men's Basketball Coach". March 27, 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
- ^ Potter, Davis (March 27, 2020). "Wyoming native Sundance Wicks rounds out Cowboys' staff". Casper Star-Tribune. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ Bouchard, Kristin (March 15, 2023). "Sundance Wicks named ninth head coach in Green Bay Men's Basketball history". University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
- ^ "Horizon League Coach of the Year, Sundance Wicks, signs contract extension with UW-Green Bay". 11 April 2024.
- ^ Seeman, Nick (May 12, 2024). "Sundance Wicks Named Head Coach of Cowboy Basketball Program". University of Wyoming.
- ^ "Men's college basketball: Northern State assistant coach Sundance Wicks making his mark".
- ^ https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/author/634/kelsey-wicks
- ^ https://pacifictigers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/luke-wicks/83
- ^ "Wicks brothers joining forces at San Francisco".
- ^ https://usfdons.com/news/2016/2/17/MBB_0217162919-Wicks-USF-Sundance-Luke
- ^ "On Mission Meetup with Bishop David Ricken & UWGB Coach Sundance Wicks". YouTube.
- ^ https://www.samaritan.catholic.edu.au/house-teams/benedict#:~:text=Saint%20Benedict%20is%20the%20Patron%20Saint%20of%20students.&text=Benedict's%20rule%20is%20best%20summarised,in%20everything%20towards%20building%20community.
- ^ "Kevin's Commentary — Sundance Wicks".