ATLANTA, Ga. – The Black College Football Hall of Fame (BCFHOF) announced the 2022 13th Class,  as former Prairie View A&M University head football coach William J. "Billy" Nicks was amongst the class to be honored.

Nicks began his coaching career at Morris Brown College 1930-1935, 1937-1939, 1941-1942; recording a 65–21–13 overall record.  His 1941 team was named "Black College National Champions" by the Pittsburgh Courier.
 
In 1943-44, Nicks left football and was the USO director at Fort Stewart (Ga.) and then at Tuskegee Army Air Force Base.
 
He returned to the gridiron two years later and moved to Prairie View A&M University as head coach from 1945-47. Nicks stepped down and served as an assistant coach for four seasons but returned to his head coaching duties in 1952.
 
During his second stint at Prairie View, Nicks compiled a record of 111-27-5 and captured eight Southwestern Athletic Conference championships and five Black College National Championships.   He recruited 15 players who eventually were drafted from Prairie View by either AFL/NFL clubs, most notably NFL Hall of Famer Kenny Houston and AFL standout Otis Taylor His career record for 28 years was 193-61-21, a winning percentage of .763.

After football, Nicks served Prairie View as director of athletics and in some year's coached basketball and baseball. In 1966, he was named special assistant to the university president and remained there until 1973. In 1975, Nicks was named Director of Parks and Recreation for the city of Houston and held the position until 1984.

For his efforts, Nicks was honored by Morris Brown College with "Billy" Nicks Day in 1964, the city of Atlanta in 1982 and the naming of the Prairie View A&M Athletic Complex in 1988.

Nicks died peacefully on Nov. 2, 1999 in Houston at the age of 94.

The inductees were selected from a list of 29 Finalists who had been determined earlier by the BCFHOF Selection Committee.  Votes were tallied from the 10-member Selection Committee, comprised of prominent journalists, commentators, and historians, as well as former NFL General Managers and executives, and from members of the BCFHOF to determine the Inductees.  

The Class of 2022 will be inducted during the Black College Football Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony & Juneteenth Celebration, Presented by the Atlanta Falcons on June 18, 2022. The ceremony takes place at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia.  

The Class of 2022 will make their first public appearance at the inaugural HBCU Legacy Bowl on February 19, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. 
 
Keep up with all the latest news and information for PVAMU athletics by following pvpanthers.com as well as through Twitter via the PVAMU general sports account (@PVAMUPanthers). You can also follow along on Instagram.com/pvamupanthers.  You can now find the Panthers on Snap Chat @pvamuathletics.