Rick Huckabay
Encyclopedia
Rick Huckabay, Sr 1946-2006 was a basketball
coach, best known for his years with Marshall University
.
Huckabay was born in Louisiana
where he played college baseball
at Louisiana Tech University
. He later became a high school coach in that state. He then became an assistant coach at the Louisiana State University
under Dale Brown
.
In 1983 he was hired at Marshall, where he compiled a 129-59 record, including 3 appearances in the NCAA tournamnent and two in the NIT
before being forced to resign in 1990 amid an investigation into recruiting.
Following his resignation, and a divorce
, he choose not to seek another college job, but remained in the Huntington, West Virginia
area where he held several high school
coaching jobs in the city's Ohio
suburbs, in order to remain near his two sons.
After his sons reached adulthood, he returned to Louisiana where he was coaching high school when diagnosed with cancer
.
His older son Rick Huckaby (the son dropped the "Jr." and the silent "a" from his name) is a country music
artist.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
coach, best known for his years with Marshall University
Marshall University
Marshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States founded in 1837, and named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States....
.
Huckabay was born in Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
where he played college baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
at Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University, often referred to as Louisiana Tech, LA Tech, or Tech, is a coeducational public research university located in Ruston, Louisiana. Louisiana Tech is designated as a Tier 1 school in the national universities category by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report college rankings...
. He later became a high school coach in that state. He then became an assistant coach at the Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
under Dale Brown
Dale Brown (basketball)
Dale Duward Brown is an American former college basketball coach who spent 25 years leading the LSU Tigers. His team earned Final Four appearances in 1981 and 1986. He is also remembered as one of the most vocal critics of the NCAA because he said it legislated against human dignity.-Life in...
.
In 1983 he was hired at Marshall, where he compiled a 129-59 record, including 3 appearances in the NCAA tournamnent and two in the NIT
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
before being forced to resign in 1990 amid an investigation into recruiting.
Following his resignation, and a divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
, he choose not to seek another college job, but remained in the Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Most of the city is in Cabell County, for which it is the county seat. A small portion of the city, mainly the neighborhood of Westmoreland, is in Wayne County. Its population was 49,138 at...
area where he held several high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
coaching jobs in the city's Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
suburbs, in order to remain near his two sons.
After his sons reached adulthood, he returned to Louisiana where he was coaching high school when diagnosed with cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
.
His older son Rick Huckaby (the son dropped the "Jr." and the silent "a" from his name) is a country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist.