LEXINGTON, Ky. – Lindsey Hicks, former Virginia Tech women’s basketball associate head coach, has been hired as the University of Kentucky women’s basketball associate head coach, it was announced Wednesday.
“I’m very thankful to be joining Coach (Kenny) Brooks and to be a part of Big Blue Nation,” Hicks said. “The rich winning tradition of UK Athletics is something that I’m grateful to be a part of. I’m extremely excited for this new chapter and look forward to building this program into a championship brand.”
Hicks arrives in Lexington after serving four seasons at Virginia Tech (2021-24), including three seasons as an assistant coach and one season as an associate head coach. The Hokies reached the NCAA Tournament in all four of Hicks' seasons in Blacksburg, including the program’s first Final Four appearance in 2023. She also raised the program’s first ACC Championship trophies, including one for the tournament title in 2023 and one for the regular-season title in 2024.
During Hicks’ time in Blacksburg, she primarily trained the post players and helped develop Elizabeth Kitley (2020-24), an All-America and Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year center.
Under Hicks’ guidance, Kitley became the program’s first 2,000-point scorer, while she also broke program records in numerous categories, including games started (151), minutes played (4,935), points scored (2,709), double-digit games (125), double-double games (76), 30-point games (12), field goals made (1,109), field-goal percentage (55.2), rebounds (1,506), rebounding average (10.0), blocks (331) and blocks averaged (2.2).
Kitley hauled in numerous awards and honors for her performances on the court, including being named an All-America by all the major outlets, a four-time ACC First Team selection, a three-time ACC Player of the Year honoree, a three-time ACC All-Defense Team pick, a two-time Kay Yow Scholar-Athlete of the Year choice, among others.
Hicks also was part of the Virginia Tech coaching staff that saw Aisha Sheppard (2018-22) become the program's leader in points scored (1,883) and 3-pointers (402). Sheppard went on to become the program's highest ever draft pick, when she was selected 23rd overall to the Las Vegas Aces in the 2022 WNBA Draft.
Just last year, in the 2023 WNBA Draft, the Hokies had two selections, including Kayana Traylor and Taylor Soule. It marked the first time in program history that two players were chosen in the WNBA Draft.
Before joining Brooks’ staff in Blacksburg, Hicks spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech. There, she helped take the Lady Techsters to back-to-back winning seasons and postseason appearances in 2016-17 and 2017-18.
After being picked to finish 12th in the 14-team Conference USA in the preseason coaches’ poll in 2016-17, she helped guide the Lady Techsters to 18 wins, a fourth-place finish in the regular season standings and the program's first national postseason berth since 2011. The Lady Techsters later followed that up with a 19-12 record in 2018-19, a third-place finish in the C-USA regular season and a second straight berth in the WNIT. It marked the most wins and the highest league finish, at the time, since 2011-12.
Before her time at Louisiana Tech, Hicks worked at Northwestern State, helping the Lady Demons earn their third straight postseason appearance during her one year with the program.
Hicks also spent two seasons as the video coordinator at Alabama. While with the Crimson Tide, she was responsible for coordinating opponent scouting, film exchange and film breakdown. She also oversaw video and social media projects for the program.
Prior to joining the Crimson Tide, Hicks spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Morehead State. Hicks' responsibilities at Morehead State included working with the team's post players, overseeing academics, organizing team travel, scouting opponents, recruiting and developing game plans.
Hicks arrived at Morehead State after a six-season professional playing career that included stops in Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland.
In her one season with Denmark's Vitus Bering in 2005-06, Hicks was named the Most Valuable Player in the Danish League. She was a team captain in each of her three seasons with Marbo Basket in Sweden. During Hicks’ college career, Hicks was a member of Purdue's national runner-up squad in 2001. There, Hicks helped lead the Boilermakers to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including that national championship game in 2001. While Hicks was a student-athlete, Purdue won three Big Ten Championships and reached the Elite Eight (2003) and Sweet 16 (2004). Hicks served as a team captain her senior year, and her senior class set the Purdue program record for most wins.
A native of Lebanon, Ohio, Hicks was a Parade All-American and part of the nation's No. 1 recruiting class at Purdue. She has a bachelor's degree in visual communications design and graphic design from there. Following her senior season at Lebanon High School, Hicks was the runner-up for Ohio's Ms. Basketball award. Lebanon High School has retired her No. 45 jersey.
Hicks’ brother, Jordan Hicks, was strength and conditioning graduate assistant at Kentucky football in 2009.
ANOTHER VIRGINIA TECH ASSISTANT ARRIVES AT UK
Radvile Autukaite, former Virginia Tech women’s basketball assistant coach, has been hired as UK women’s basketball assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, it was announced Wednesday.
“I have had the pleasure to work alongside Coach Brooks for many years and am honored to continue to do so at a high-level program like Kentucky,” Autukaite said. “I’m so excited to be joining Big Blue Nation and am looking forward to continuing to help grow the legacy that is Kentucky Basketball for years to come!”
Autukaite arrives in Lexington after serving two seasons as an assistant coach at Virginia Tech (2022-23, 2023-24). She was elevated to assistant coach prior to 2022-23, previously serving as the player personnel specialist for two seasons in 2020-21 and 2021-22 and a graduate assistant since 2017.
In her first season as an assistant coach with the Hokies in 2022-23, they were crowned Atlantic Coast Conference Champions and made a postseason run to the Final Four. The season after, in 2023-24, the program lifted the ACC regular-season title.
All three of those honors were among the first in program history.
A former guard in her playing days, Autukaite has helped develop players like Aisha Sheppard, Kendyl Brooks and Taylor Emery, some of the best shooters to ever wear Maroon and Orange.
Another one of those players is Georgia Amoore, All-America point guard, who won the 2023 ACC Tournament MVP and went on to be Seattle 3 Region's Most Outstanding Player in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
Under Autukaite’s guidance, Amoore became Virginia Tech’s all-time career leader in assists (656), assists / turnover ratio (1.8) and average minutes played (34.3), while she also climbed to second in 3-pointers (330) and third in scoring (1,853). While in Blacksburg, Autukaite also coached a pair of draft selections. The Hokies had two selections in the 2023 WNBA Draft, including Kayana Traylor and Taylor Soule. It marked the first time in program history that two players were chosen in the WNBA Draft.
Her former job responsibilities in Blacksburg, as a player personnel specialist and a graduate assistant, included coordinating the male practice players, helping maintain the recruitment database, assisting with administrative duties and other day-to-day operational tasks related to the program.
While at Virginia Tech, Autukaite also earned a Masters in Instructional Design and Technology in 2020. She is currently working on her PhD in the same area.
Prior to joining Virginia Tech, Autukaite served as a graduate assistant coach at Webber International University. During two seasons at Webber, her responsibilities varied from recruiting, organizing community service events, monitoring study hall, scheduling and assisting on the court with practices and games.
Autukaite earned her Master of Business Administration with a sports management concentration from Webber in 2017. Before that, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Reinhardt University in 2015.
During her college career at Webber, Autukaite received the NAIA AAC Female Champion of Character Award for all sports. This award was given to a female athlete who exhibited integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and a servant leadership to the best of their ability. In addition, she was a Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete.
Prior to moving to the United States, Autukaite played for the Lithuanian National Team at the U16, U18 and U20 levels.
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