- Billy Hicks & Jeff Jasper Honored as Outstanding High School Basketball Coaches on April 1-
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. - The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the recipients of the 2025 Morgan Wootten Award for Lifetime Achievement in Coaching High School Basketball:
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Boys - Billy Hicks, Scott County High School (Georgetown, KY)
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Girls - Jeff Jasper, Pascack Valley High School (Hillsdale, NJ)
The Elks Hoop Shoot presents the prestigious award named after Morgan Wootten, who dedicated 46 years to leading DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland. Wootten is one of only five high school coaches enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame (Class of 2000). The annual award recognizes two outstanding high school coaches—one for boys’ basketball and one for girls’ basketball.
"Congratulations to Billy Hicks and Jeff Jasper, the 2025 recipients of the Morgan Wootten Award for Lifetime Achievement in Coaching High School Basketball,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “Their dedication and excellence in coaching exemplify Morgan Wootten’s enduring legacy in the sport. Beyond their remarkable success on the court, their unwavering commitment has profoundly shaped the lives of their student-athletes. Their influence extends far beyond basketball, inspiring future generations and leaving a lasting impact on their teams and communities."
BILLY HICKS
Hicks was the winningest coach in Kentucky high school basketball history, going 1,021-276 (.787) over 38 seasons (1981–2019) at Evarts High School (1981–83), Harlan High School (1983–94), and Scott County High School (1994–2019). Hicks also held the modern-era record with 33 victories in the KHSAA Sweet 16. He led his teams to 14 regional titles and a record seven state championship appearances, winning two state titles with Scott County (1998, 2007). He was inducted into the Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016, and will be posthumously inducted into the Kentucky High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame this year.
JEFF JASPER
Jasper has been a trailblazer in New Jersey high school basketball since 1971, leading the Pascack Valley High School girls’ basketball program to historic success. With over 1,100 career wins, he holds the title of winningest girls' basketball coach in New Jersey history. Jasper has led Pascack Valley to six New Jersey state titles (1981-82, ‘89, 2005, ‘08, ‘17), 14 state sectional titles, and 34 league championships. In 2024, Jasper was honored with the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award from the New Jersey Basketball Coaches Association, further cementing his legacy as one of the most accomplished and respected coaches in the sport’s history.
The Morgan Wootten Award recipients are selected by a national committee of Hall of Famers, national high school media members, tournament directors, and others who have made substantial contributions to the game. The 2025 Morgan Wootten Awards for Lifetime Achievement in Coaching High School Basketball will be presented on Tuesday, April 1, at a luncheon at the Brooklyn Bridge Marriott ahead of the 2025 McDonald’s All-American Game.
MORGAN WOOTTEN AWARD RECIPIENTS
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YEAR 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2024 2025 |
BOYS Joseph Gallagher, St. John’s College HS Jack Curran, Archbishop Molloy HS Ralph Tasker, Hobbs HS Robert Hughes, I.M. Terrell/Ft. Worth HS Bob Hurley, St. Anthony’s HS Ed Pepple, Mercer Island HS Vito Montelli, St. Joseph HS Gary McKnight, Mater Dei HS Harvey Reid, Ralph L. Fike, HS Bob Dwyer, Archbishop Carroll HS William “Speedy” Morris, St. Joseph’s Prep Gene Pingatore, St. Joseph’s HS Bill Krueger, Clear Lake HS Freddy Johnson, Greensboro Day School Bob Farrell, Seton Hall Prep Billy Hicks, Scott County HS |
GIRLS Jim Smiddy, Bradley Central HS Leta Andrews, Granbury HS Dorothy Gaters, Marshall HS Rick Insell, Shelbyville Central HS Gene Klinge, West Central Community School Brad Smith, Oregon City HS Sandra Meadows, Duncanville HS Thednall Hill, Hardy Highland HS Joe Lombard, Canyon HS Dr. Anthony Pappas, Waterloo West HS Marcia Pinder, Dillard HS John Hutchcraft, Guy Perkins HS Frank Orlando, Detroit Country Day School Jill Pruden, Oak Ridge HS Mike Kopp, Notre Dame/Allentown Central Catholic HS Jeff Jasper, Pasack Valley HS |
About the Elks Hoop Shoot Program
For more than 50 years, the Elks Hoop Shoot has been unleashing gritty kids through a national free throw program for youth ages 8-13. For videos, news from the court, and more information about the Hoop Shoot, visit elks.org/hoopshoot.
About the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving, and celebrating the game of basketball at every level—men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches, and contributors—both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 475 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits, and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game’s elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum, and events, visit hoophall.com and follow @Hoophall.