HOUSTON TX. - William J. "Billy" Nicks, the winningest. coach in the history of Prairie View A&M University football, died Tuesday, November 9.
A wake is scheduled from 7-9 p.m. at McCoy and Harrison Funeral Home at 4918 Martin Luther King Boulevard in Houston. The funeral service is scheduled for Tuesday, November 16 at 11: 00 a. m. at St. James Episcopal Church, 3129 Southmore in Houston.
Nicks served as Prairie View's head football coach from 1945-47 and from 1952-65. In his 16 years as the head coach at Prairie View, he recorded a 119-33-4 record. In his 24 years of coaching football, he compiled an impressive career record of 189-55-9, including a 70-22-5 record at Morris Brown College.
While at Prairie View, Nicks' teams won five national championships, eight Southwestern Athletic Conference titles and produced five undefeated seasons. His teams produced back-to-back national championships in 1953-1954 and 1963-1964.
Nicks is the only college coach to produce a national championship in all three decades he coached (40's, 50's and 60's). He had a winning record against every SWAC school, including Eddie Robinson at Grambling State, who's college football's all-time winningest coach.
Nicks has been inducted into the College Football, NAIA, Helms, Prairie View A&M, Morris Brown, the Atlanta University Center and SWAC halls of fame. In 1986, the athletic and intramural complex at Prairie View A&M was named in his honor and in 1995 the athletic field house was graced with his name.
In addition to his football duties, Nicks served as athletics director and coached basketball and baseball. His basketball and baseball teams won several conference championships.
In his memory, PVAMU officials request that donations be made to the William J. Nicks Scholarship Fund. Donations to the fund should be sent to Prairie View A&M University, Athletic Development, Post Office Box 97, Prairie View, TX 77446.
"Coach Nicks was one of the greatest coaches over."' stated PV head football coach Clifton Gilliard who played halfback for Nicks on the 1955 championship team. He was an innovator. He know how to got the best out of his players. He left a legacy at Prairie View that we can all be proud of."
