Guy Plumb Wicks (June 8, 1902 – January 16, 1968) was an American coach of

college athletics College sports or college athletics encompasses amateur sports played by non- professional, collegiate and university-level student athletes in competitive sports and games. College sports have led to many college rivalries. College sports ...

and a university administrator; he coached

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

, and

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

in the state of

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...

Early years

Born in Eustis, Nebraska, Wicks moved with his family to the

Palouse The Palouse ( ) is a geographic region of the northwestern United States, encompassing parts of North Central Idaho, north central Idaho, southeastern Washington (part of eastern Washington), and by some definitions, parts of northeast Oregon. ...

region of northern

. He graduated from Moscow High School and the

University of Idaho The University of Idaho (U of I, or UIdaho) is a public land-grant research university in Moscow, Idaho, United States. Established in 1889 and opened three years later, it was the state's sole university for 71 years, until 1963. The un ...

, also in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

, where he played baseball for the

Vandals The Vandals were a Germanic people who were first reported in the written records as inhabitants of what is now Poland, during the period of the Roman Empire. Much later, in the fifth century, a group of Vandals led by kings established Vand ...

, and was a member of

Sigma Nu Sigma Nu () is an undergraduate Fraternities and sororities in North America, college fraternity founded at the Virginia Military Institute in 1869. Since its founding, Sigma Nu has chartered more than 279 chapters across the United States and Ca ...

fraternity A fraternity (; whence, "wikt:brotherhood, brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club (organization), club or fraternal order traditionally of men but also women associated together for various religious or secular ...

Coaching and administration

After receiving his bachelor's degree in 1925, Wicks coached multiple sports at the high school level in nearby Genesee for two years, back at Moscow for three, and at North Central in

Spokane Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south ...

for one. Wicks moved to

Pocatello Pocatello () is the county seat of and the largest city in Bannock County, with a small portion on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in neighboring Power County, containing the city's airport. It is the principal city of the Pocatello metro ...

in southeastern Idaho in 1931 to become assistant athletic director at the University of Idaho's Southern Branch (then a two-year school, and now

Idaho State University Idaho State University (ISU) is a Public university, public research university in Pocatello, Idaho, United States. Founded in 1901 as the Academy of Idaho, Idaho State offers more than 250 programs at its main campus in Pocatello and locations ...

), where he also coached the

team. With the departure of Felix Plastino in 1935, Wicks became athletic director, and also became head

coach, posting a record in six seasons with the Bengals. After a decade in Pocatello, Wicks returned to Moscow in 1941 to coach

and baseball for the Vandals. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he served as an

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...

in the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...

, then returned to coach at Idaho in 1946. Wicks later worked in the athletic department and then in university administration, as the associate dean of students.

Death

Following his retirement from the university in 1966, Wicks worked for the Sigma Nu fraternity. While in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

to visit the chapter at

Emory University Emory University is a private university, private research university in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It was founded in 1836 as Emory College by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory. Its main campu ...

, he fell ill and died in early 1968 at the

university hospital A teaching hospital or university hospital is a hospital or medical center that provides medical education and training to future and current health professionals. Teaching hospitals are almost always affiliated with one or more universities a ...

; he had battled chronic lymphatic leukemia since 1960.

Personal

Wicks married Lela Grace Jain (1906–1997) of Genesee in 1929. She outlived her husband by nearly three decades, and was a leading citizen in Moscow. Grace entered UI in 1925 and was a member of Pi Sigma Rho sorority, which became

Alpha Phi Alpha Phi International Women's Fraternity (, also known as APhi) is an international Fraternities and sororities in North America, sorority with 175 active chapters and over 270,000 initiated members. Founded at Syracuse University in Syracuse, ...

in 1928. Illness from influenza delayed her graduation until 1933, majoring in English with a minor in music. With two older brothers having served in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, she assisted in the promotion of the Memorial Gymnasium, which opened in 1928. Grace was a financial advisor in the 1950s, elected a county commissioner in the early 1960s (both very uncommon for a woman at the time), and later the local chair of the Republican Party. A major contributor to the county historical society, she had a long run as a newspaper columnist as a senior for the ''

Moscow-Pullman Daily News The ''Moscow-Pullman Daily News'' is a daily newspaper in the northwestern United States, serving the Moscow, Idaho, and Pullman, Washington, metropolitan area. The two cities on the Palouse are the homes of the two states' land grant universitie ...

,'' writing right up until her death, which came a day shy The couple is buried together at the city cemetery in Genesee; they had two children, Grace Jain and Donald, and eight grandchildren.

Legacy

A year after his death, Idaho's recently relocated baseball field () was named for Wicks during the 1969 postseason. In the vast open area at the northwest corner of the campus which includes multiple intramural fields, the name "Guy Wicks Field" is now primarily attached to the women's soccer field at the western edge.

Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

was dropped as a varsity sport after 1980, and women's soccer was added in the fall of 1998. The university's "Guy and Grace Wicks Award" annually recognizes two outstanding seniors, based on academic success, campus activities, and service to the university and the community. Wicks was inducted to the athletic halls of fame at Idaho State University in 1980 and at the University of Idaho in 2008.

Head coaching record

College football

Source:

Notes

References

External links

Sports-Reference.com profile
– Latah County Oral History Collection – Grace Wicks * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wicks, Guy 1902 births 1968 deaths Activists from Idaho Basketball coaches from Idaho College men's basketball head coaches in the United States High school basketball coaches in Idaho High school basketball coaches in Washington (state) Idaho State Bengals athletic directors Idaho State Bengals football coaches Idaho State Bengals men's basketball coaches Idaho Vandals baseball coaches Idaho Vandals baseball players Idaho Vandals men's basketball coaches Sportspeople from Moscow, Idaho