He becomes 23rd head coach in school history
Laramie, Wyo. (May 12, 2023) – University of Wyoming Athletics Director Tom Burman announced Sunday the hiring of Sundance Wicks as head coach of the Cowboy Basketball Program. He is the 23rd head coach in Cowboy history. A native of Gillette, Wicks spent three seasons as an assistant coach (2020-23) at Wyoming and spent last season as head coach at Green Bay spearheading one of the best single season turnarounds in college basketball history.
Wicks takes over head coaching duties for the Brown and Gold for Jeff Linder, as Linder resigned as head coach at Wyoming to pursue other opportunities in college basketball.
“First off, please know that I am honored, humbled and immensely grateful for this opportunity at the University of Wyoming,” Wicks said. “This opportunity would have never been possible without the Belief that Green Bay Chancellor Mike Alexander and Athletics Director Josh Moon had in our mission and vision a year ago at UWGB. To that end, I would like to thank Director of Athletics Tom Burman and UW President Edward Seidel for their trust in me and what We will do for the University and this great state moving forward.”
“You cannot put into words what it means for a kid from the country roads outside of Gillette to represent the State of Wyoming and the Cowboys as their new head basketball coach,” said Wicks.
In his first year at Green Bay, Wicks was named the 2023-24 Horizon League Coach of the Year. He was also named the Joe B. Hall National Coach of the Year, which is presented annually to the top rookie, first-year head coach in NCAA Division I college basketball. Last season, Wicks posted an 18-14 record after the program finished at 3-29 prior to his arrival in 2022-23. That 15-game turnaround tied for the ninth-best turnaround in NCAA DI history.
Wicks also mentored numerous players to award-winning seasons at Green Bay. Noah Reynolds was named the Horizon League Newcomer of the Year, All-Horizon League First Team, and NABC District 12 All-Region First Team. For the first time in program history, Green Bay also saw two freshmen named to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team in David Douglas Jr. and Marcus Hall. Douglas Jr. was named the Freshman of the Year in the conference.
“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome back Sundance Wicks to Wyoming,” Burman said. “Sundance will bring a great energy to our program and the entire State of Wyoming. Being a native of this great state, Wicks knows the pride Cowboy fans take in the program and he will work tirelessly for his student-athletes and the community.”
Wicks spent three seasons at Wyoming under former head coach Jeff Linder. The Cowboys reached the NCAA Tournament in 2022 finishing the season with a 25-9 overall record. The Pokes received their first at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament since 2002 and marked the first trip to the Big Dance since 2015. The Pokes recorded 24 wins in the regular season for the most since the 1951-52 campaign.
“If there is one thing, I learned growing up in Wyoming it’s that when you Honor the Brown and Gold, you are honoring so much more than just the University of Wyoming,” Wicks said. “You are honoring every single hard hat that woke up before the sun to work the coal mines. It means paying your respects to the all the rough and rowdy ranchers that chose the Cowboy Way and Rode for the Brand before it became a popular phrase. Honoring the Brown and Gold is the understanding that a tip of the cap, a steering wheel wave, a hard handshake or a big hug is how you lift your people up in support of a hard day’s work."
The Pokes, who were picked to finish eighth in the Conference ranked as high as No. 22 in the nation in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches' polls.
Wicks and his energy on the bench helped the Cowboys become the top offense in the Mountain West in his first season with the program. He helped revamp the Cowboy offense to average 76.5 points per game. Wyoming also led the MW in three-point field goals per game at 10.1. The Pokes ranked No. 12 in the nation in three-point field goals per game as well.
The Pokes went 6-1 in non-conference play in 2020-21 including a road win over an NCAA Elite Eight team in Oregon State. Wyoming won six total road games on the season for the most away from Laramie since the 2012-13 season. UW also had a winning record on the road for the first time since 2000-01 season.
Prior to his time in Laramie, Wicks was the head coach at Missouri Western for two seasons. Wicks led the Griffons to 18 wins in 2019-20, as it was the most by the program in 10 years. In his first season at the helm of the program his team doubled their win total from the prior campaign. In his two seasons, Wicks helped mentor six All-MIAA players and an NABC All-District selection.
Prior to his time at Missouri Western, Wicks spent time at his alma mater Northern State University, where he was associate head coach during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons. In 2017-18, Wicks helped lead Northern State to the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference regular season and postseason championships. Northern State also claimed the central region championship for the program’s first-ever appearance in the national championship game.
Wicks has been an assistant coach at the Division II and Division I levels. After lettering four years as a student-athlete at Northern State from 1999-2003, Wicks held assistant coaching positions at Northern State, Colorado (2006-07), Northern Illinois (2007-11) and San Francisco (2015-16).
He also built the Arizona Power Basketball Academy, serving as a skill instructor and director from 2011-15. Prior to launching the APBA, he spent five months training NBA pre-draft prospects at the Impact Basketball Academy in Las Vegas. Wicks’ draft class trainees included Kawhi Leonard, Alec Burks and Isaiah Thomas.
Wicks began his collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant at Northern State under the legendary Don Meyer.
As a student-athlete, Wicks was twice named first team All-NSIC, scoring 1,174 points and pulling down 665 rebounds in his career. He was also a two-time All-NSIC performer in the 400-meter hurdles at Northern State. After graduation, Wicks played for the Sodertalje Kings in Sweden. He led the team in points and rebounding.
Wicks graduated from Campbell County High School in 1999, where he lettered in football, basketball and track and field. In 1999, he was named the Milward Simpson Athlete of the Year. Wicks was a part of two high school basketball championships (1996-97 and 1998-99), and in his senior season won a trio of state championships in football, basketball and track and field, where he captured the individual state title in the 300-meter hurdles, and was the state runner-up in the 110-meter high hurdles.
Wicks received a bachelor’s degree in international business from Northern State in 2003 and a master’s degree in health, physical education and coaching from Northern State in 2006.
Wicks and his wife Courteney have two children, Grace and Skywalker.
“Whether you were raised in Evanston, Worland or Wheatland, the Big Horns in Buffalo, the blue-collar town of Gillette, Casper, Cody or Cheyenne, Jackson Hole, Rock Springs or Riverton, Shoshoni, Lander or Laradise. Raise a glass, this one’s for you, we got work to do Wyoming”, Said Wicks.
Coaching Experience:
2024-Pres.: Head Coach, University of Wyoming
2023-2024: Head Coach, Green Bay
2020-23: Assistant Coach, University of Wyoming
2018-20: Head Coach, Missouri Western University
2016-18: Associate Head Coach, Northern State University
2015-16: Assistant Coach, University of San Francisco
2007-11: Assistant Coach, Northern Illinois University
2006-07: Assistant Coach, University of Colorado
2004-06: Graduate Assistant, Northern State University
UW Press Release
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