Eric Hickson - Football Coach - Kansas State University Athletics

Eric Hickson

Title:
Running Backs
Email:
ehickson@kstatesports.com
Phone:
(785) 532-5876

The Hickson File

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Year at K-State: First
Date of Birth: October 25, 1974
Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Spouse: Keisha
Children: Eric Jr.

EDUCATION

Kansas State (1998)
Bachelor's in Criminal Justice

PLAYING EXPERIENCE

K-State, Running Back (1994-95, 1997-98)

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2003-06 Coral Springs Charter School [FL] (Asst. HC)
2007-11 American Heritage HS [FL] (Running Backs/ST)
2012      Emmerich Manual HS [IN] (Offensive Coord./RB)
2013      Emmerich Manual HS [IN] (Head Coach)
2014      Garden City CC (Running Backs/Interim HC)
2015-17 Akron (Running Backs)
2018      K-State (Running Backs)

BOWL EXPERIENCE

1994 Aloha Bowl (K-State)*
1995 Holiday Bowl (K-State)*
1997 Cotton Bowl (K-State)*
1997 Fiesta Bowl (K-State)*
1998 Alamo Bowl (K-State)*
2017 Boca Raton Bowl (Akron)
* As a Player

Eric Hickson, who ranks as one of the best rushers in Kansas State history, returns to Manhattan to coach the Wildcat running backs after spending the last three seasons at Akron.

Hickson helped the Zips earn a pair of bowl berths in his first three seasons on a FBS staff, including the 2017 campaign in which Akron won the MAC East Division and played in the Boca Raton Bowl. In his first season in Akron, the Zips earned an 8-5 record with a victory over Utah State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

During the 2017 season, Hickson helped piece together a backfield that saw four different starters combine for 1,282 yards and 12 touchdowns, while the position combined for another 1,000-yard season in 2016. Hickson tutored Conor Hundley during his senior campaign of 2015 as he left the program with over 2,000 career rushing yards to rank 11th in school history.

Hickson joined the Zips after serving as the interim head coach, running backs coach and outgoing recruiting coordinator at Garden City Community College in 2014.

Prior to joining the Broncbusters, Hickson coached at Emmerich Manual High School in Indianapolis for two seasons, serving as the head coach his last year. He coached the running backs and special steams at American Heritage High School in Florida for four seasons, mentoring several players who were recruited by Division I schools, including Sony Michel (Georgia), Walter Tucker (Miami), Marken Michel (UMass), and Henry Bussy (FAU).

From 2003-06, Hickson served as the assistant head coach at Coral Springs Charter School, coaching NFL players Evani Landi (tight end; USF/Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and Darius Butler (cornerback; UConn/Indianapolis Colts).

Hickson left K-State in 1998 as the school’s all-time leading rusher with 2,537 yards and 26 touchdowns, marks that still rank fifth and seventh in program history, respectively. He had 10 career 100-yard rushing games to set the school record at the time, a mark that is now tied for fourth. He also remains in eighth place in K-State history in single-season (5.34 in 1998) and career (5.00) yards per carry, while he is ninth in career yards per game (61.9).

A three-year starter and four-year letterwinner under Bill Snyder, Hickson led the Wildcats in rushing during the 1995, 1997 and 1998 seasons and was an Honorable Mention All-Big 12 selection the final two years of his career. A preseason candidate for the 1998 Doak Walker Award, Hickson served as a team captain for the 1997 and 1998 seasons.

Hickson signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 1999. In 2001, Hickson played for the XFL’s Birmingham Thunderbolts and spent the 2002 season in the Arena Football League.

A native of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Hickson earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Kansas State in 1998. He and his wife, Keisha, have one son Eric, Jr.