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BILL HICKMAN'S LEGACY LIVES ON The late Bill Hickman ('48), who graduated from Virginia with a degree in engineering, may have been ahead of his time when it came to being a football coach. Hickman was an assistant coach at UVa, Vanderbilt, Duke, North Carolina State and North Carolina before moving to the NFL. He was on George Allen's staff from 1973-77, was a quality control coach for the then-Los Angeles Rams from 1978-80 and returned to the Redskins under Joe Gibbs from 1981 until he retired after the 1988 season. "Bill used plain geometry to figure out angles on defense," said Bill Mar- shall, who played football with Hickman at UVa. "He scouted every team Gibbs played. He was looking for simple angles that told players whether it was going to be a pass or a run, and to which side the play would go. "He could do so by spotting where certain people lined up. When people 'poo-pooed' his system, my question to them was 'Where are your Super Bowl rings?'" Hickman was a coach on four teams that played in the Super Bowl, includ- ing Washington teams that beat Miami in Super Bowl XVII and Denver in Super Bowl XXII. Ironically, in his 16 seasons as an NFL assistant, every team he was on posted a winning record except the 1988 Hickman, who played foot- ball and boxed for UVa in the 1940s, spent 16 seasons as an assistant coach in the NFL and was part of four teams that played in the Su- per Bowl. PHOTO COURTESY KURT HICKMAN Redskins, who lost to Cincinnati on the last play of the last game of the season. "[My dad] was widely respected in the coaching profession," said Hickman's son, Kurt. "But he never wanted to be a head coach even though he had opportunities. "He was an incredibly humorous person. He was an engineer and a very astute per- son." Hickman also was a very talented athlete. Initially, he enrolled at Maryland on a football scholarship. But through the efforts of then-head football coach Art Guepe, he transferred to UVa where he played football and boxed as a middle- weight. "He was the hardest-hitting back who put his head down and dived through the line," Marshall recalled. "He was one tough player — the type of player who rose to the occasion." — Mike Scandura 14 ◆ CAVALIER CORNER Regional support backed by institutional strength Wells Fargo Private Bank offers the dedicated attention of our regional team backed by the strength, innovation and resources of the larger Wells Fargo organization. We instill confidence in our clients by devising a strategy based on their unique needs while leveraging our national resources to extend the impact of their wealth, now and over time. To learn more about how your local Wells Fargo Private Bank office can help you, contact: Jeffrey C. Hartman Senior Managing Director Mid-Atlantic Region (704) 374-3213 Wells Fargo Private Bank provides financial services and products through Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and its affiliates. Deposit and loan products offered through Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. Insurance products are available through Insurance subsidiaries of Wells Fargo & Company and underwritten by non-affiliated Insurance Companies. Not available in all states. © 2011 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. 6316 WF Charlotte.indd 1 FEBRUARY 2012 4/21/11 8:11 AM
