– 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:
Boys – Billy Hicks, Scott County High School (Georgetown, KY)
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
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.
