Former Head Coach Ken Trickey passes at age 79

MURFREESBORO - Former Middle Tennessee player and head coach Ken Trickey died Tuesday morning at the age of 79.

Trickey played basketball at Middle Tennessee from 1952-55 and served as head coach from 1965-69.

A native of Cairo, Ill., Trickey was a Middle Tennessee basketball trailblazer. A top scorer, his 1,456 career points currently ranks seventh on the Raiders'all-time list. A four-time All-VSAC player, he was also All-OVC in his sophomore and junior years. Trickey served as captain of the first Blue Raider basketball team to play at the 1955 NAIA Nationals in Kansas City.

After graduation and coaching at the high school level, he became the Blue Raiders head coach in 1965. He made an indelible mark on Blue Raider basketball with numerous promotions that attracted fans to watch his eye-popping, fast-break style of play.

When Trickey's men outscored Oral Roberts University 115-98 early in the 1968-69 season, Rev. Roberts recruited him as head coach. Trickey went on to lead Oral Roberts to the NCAAs Elite Eight in 1974. At ORU, his teams compiled a 214-116 record and played in the NCAA tournament and the NIT. Trickey also had stints as head coach at Oklahoma City University and Oklahoma State.

"This is a sad day for the Blue Raider family as we learned of the passing of Ken Trickey," said Director of Athletics Chris Massaro. "A trailblazer for men's basketball at Middle Tennessee, Trickey signed the first African-American basketball players and attracted fans with an up-tempo style of play. Our hearts are heavy as we remember this Middle Tennessee basketball."

Memorial services are pending. Contributions in Ken's memory can be made to Alzheimers and Dementia research.

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