“When I think about Kevin Fricke, the first words that come to mind are work ethic, loyalty and attention to detail. I worked with Kevin for three years as an assistant here at UALR and I was fortunate enough to see firsthand the kind of impact he had on this program. When I was hired as head coach, my top priority was finding a way to keep Kevin Fricke at UALR. He and his wife, Susan, have been such an integral part of this program for a number of years.”
- UALR head coach Steve Shields
Kevin Fricke enters his 11th season on staff at UALR. The 45-year old native of Hastings, Neb., is enjoying his third stop at the Division-I level, having previously coached at Texas Christian University and the University of Nebraska.
Fricke’s responsibilities at UALR include coordinating the Trojans’ recruiting efforts, on-court coaching, scouting opponents, conducting individual workouts, game scheduling and working with the Tip-In Club — a support group for the men’s basketball program.
During his 10-year tenure, Fricke’s on-court emphasis has been with post players, helping the Trojans produce pre-season all-conference player Darius Eason, unanimous all-conference selection Stan Blackmon, two-time all-Sun Belt performer Ryan Moss, and Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year, Player of the Year and all-conference selection Montrelle Dobbins.
Prior to his UALR assignment, Fricke had been living in Fort Worth, Texas, running basketball camps nationwide for Shot Doctor Basketball USA and working as a consultant to area high school coaches for team and college-ability player preparation.
During the 1994-95 season, Fricke was interim head coach at Moberly Area Community College. He took the job two weeks before the start of the season and guided the team to a 15-12 record. This interim position was his second stint at Moberly as he was an assistant there during the 1987-88 and 1988-89 seasons, with two Region XVI Championships, two trips to the national tournament in Hutchinson, Kan., and two national top 10 finishes. Fricke’s tenure at the Missouri school saw him coach or recruit 15 All-Region XVI and All-American players, many of whom went on to play at Division-I colleges.
Fricke was an assistant for five years for Moe Iba at TCU between his years at the junior college. During this time, the Horned Frogs set numerous school records, including wins for three consecutive seasons. Winning the San Juan Shootout championship, a 23-win season and coaching All-Southwest Conference performers Reggie Smith and Kurt Thomas, both NBA picks, were other highlights.
Fricke rejoined Iba at TCU after having served on his staff at the University of Nebraska. While at Nebraska, Fricke was an integral part of the first-ever Cornhusker team to play in the NCAA tournament, four NIT teams (one going to the Final Four in New York City), and coaching several All-Big Eight standouts, including NBA draftee Dave Hoppen.
Fricke, a 1984 graduate of the University of Nebraska, was born Nov. 13, 1960. He and his wife, Susan, a professional services manager with the Hughes Agency, and a native of Dallas, live in Little Rock.
