Tyler Hicks joined the Illinois State men’s basketball staff in May of 2022 as a graduate assistant. A native of Indianapolis, Indiana, Hicks came from The Ohio State University where he served as a student manager under Chris Holtmann and now-Illinois State head coach Ryan Pedon. 

While with the Buckeyes, the program went 82-47 and reached the NCAA tournament in every year that it occurred. Hicks was a part of the development of three NBA players – Duane Washington Jr., EJ Liddell, and Malaki Branham. In his final year in Columbus, he was named head student manager and contributed heavily to scouting, recruiting, operations, and player development efforts. 

Hicks graduated summa cum laude from Ohio State in May of 2022, earning bachelor’s degrees in Finance and Sport Industry and an additional minor in Psychology. He is joining the MBA program at Illinois State and is set to graduate in 2024.