Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology names new head football coach

LANCASTER, Pa. - May 13, 2024 - PRLog -- Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology has hired Johnnie L. Hicks Jr. as head football coach, beginning with the 2024 season.

Hicks has been involved with the football program at the college since 2021, working with cornerbacks and kickoff teams. In 2022, he was promoted to defensive line coach and special teams coordinator. In 2023, Hicks was the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. In each of those years, the Thaddeus Stevens College Bulldogs football team won the Seaboard Conference Championship. Hicks also serves as a recruiter in the college's admissions department.

In high school, Hicks started all four years at Susquehanna Township. Three of those years he was named and all-conference selection on both sides of the ball. In 1993, Hicks was an all-state selection and the Defensive Player of the Year. Also in 1993, Hicks played in the 36^th Big 33 Football Classic against Ohio, a game in which Pennsylvania won 36 to 6.

Hicks attended the University of Maryland and started all four years, honored twice as defensive lineman of the year, and was an academic all-American in 1995. He earned a spot on the practice squad for the Baltimore Ravens and Washington Commanders (formerly Redskins). Hicks played professional arena football, winning a World Championship in 1999 with the Albany Firebirds. He also was on the Central Penn Piranhas in 2005 when the team won the Semi-Pro National Championship.

In 1999, Hicks began coaching as a defensive line coach at Susquehanna Township High School. In 2000, he served as the assistant defensive line coach at William Floyd High school in Shirley, New York. Starting in 2009, Hicks began coaching at Bishop McDevitt High school as the

defensive line coach, winning six district championships. In 2006, he was promoted to defensive coordinator at Bishop McDevitt, going on to win two additional district championships.

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An acclaimed residential two-year college in the heart of Central Pennsylvania, Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology is an accredited technical college dedicated to preparing students for high-demand careers with family-sustaining wages. Founded in 1905 with 15 students, Thaddeus Stevens College has grown to more than 1,400 students and 24 high-skill technical and trade degree programs. Through its mission, Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology breaks down barriers that perpetuate educational inequities and creates access to a college degree. Committed to the legacy of its benefactor, Thaddeus Stevens, the college serves as an instrument of change in the lives of its students, graduates and employees who, in turn, impact change on businesses, industries and communities across Pennsylvania and beyond. https://stevenscollege.edu