Head Coach, Men's & Women's Track & Field and Cross Country
Kevin Hicks joins Paine College as head coach of the men's and women's track & field and cross country programs, bringing a career that spans elite competition, collegiate coaching, and sports technology innovation.
A native of Miami, Florida, Hicks got his start at Miami Central High School, where a coach's encouragement launched him into the sport. He quickly developed into an elite middle-distance runner, winning Florida state championships in cross country, the 1,600 meters, and the 1,600-meter relay.
Hicks carried that success into his collegiate career at Florida A&M University, where he became a MEAC champion in the 800 and 1,500 meters and grew into one of the most decorated middle-distance runners in program history. In 2005, he won the NCAA Division I Indoor 800-meter Championship and the USA Indoor 800-meter title in the same season, then placed third at the USA Outdoor Championships to earn a spot on Team USA at the World Championships in Helsinki. He also finished runner-up at the NCAA Outdoor Championships that year with a personal-best 1:44.94 — a mark that still stands as the FAMU school record outdoors, alongside his indoor record of 1:46.97. Hicks was inducted into the FAMU Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.
He continued competing professionally after college, highlighted by an 800-meter win at the 2006 Kansas Relays in a meet-record 1:47.58, and remained active at the national level for several years against top international competition.
Hicks transitioned into coaching at Florida State University, working with middle distance, distance, and cross country athletes in the Atlantic Coast Conference, before moving to Queens University of Charlotte. There, he directed the sprint and middle distance groups and helped lead the Royals women to the 2016 South Atlantic Conference Outdoor Championship, a 269-point team title. That season, he coached Asia Hart to a Queens school record of 56.04 outdoors and 57.65 indoors in the 400 meters, earning her SAC Women's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year honors. Hicks has also coached with the Charlotte Track Club, where Toccata Murphy set the American women's 400-meter record in the 50–54 age group at 59.59 under his guidance, and he has helped organize and direct the Queen City Classic.
Beyond coaching, Hicks maintains close ties to his alma mater, having been appointed to the Board of Directors of the FAMU Rattler Boosters, Inc. in 2023. He also brings a technology background to the sport as the creator of Split Control, a timing and data app that helps coaches run workouts and track athlete progress.
Hicks holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Florida A&M University and a Master of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Arizona.